Conversion of levulinate into succinate through catalytic oxidative carbon-carbon bond cleavage with dioxygen.

Grand Cleft Oxo: Levulinate, available from biomass, is oxidized into succinate through manganese(III)-catalyzed selective cleavage of CC bonds with molecular oxygen. In addition to levulinate, a wide range of aliphatic methyl ketones also undergo oxidative CC bond cleavage at the carbonyl group. This procedure offers a route to valuable dicarboxylic acids from biomass resources by nonfermentive approaches.