Photochemical Oxidative Cleavage and Dihydroxylation of Unsaturated Fatty Acids Using Triplet Nitroarenes

ABSTRACT The widespread use of bio‐derived lipids as renewable feedstock chemicals requires their synthetic modification for downstream applications. Herein, we demonstrate the use of nitroarenes as photo‐responsive oxidants for the synthesis of aldehydes and 1,2‐diols from unsaturated fatty acids. This approach addresses the conventional use of hazardous and toxic reagents such as ozone (O 3 ) and osmium tetroxide (OsO 4 ). The successful employment of stable and nontoxic nitroarenes in oxidation chemistry is demonstrated on a series of industrially relevant fatty acids including carboxylic acids and their methyl ester equivalents producing oxygen‐enriched substrates.