My question is:
What reaction products are formed if an unsaturated fat is reacted at ca. 20 - 50 °C with aqueous hydrogen peroxide of ca. 35 %?
To find the answer, we can subdivide the question into the questions about the elementary reactions:
a) Which reaction products are formed in the oxidation step?
b) Which reaction products are formed in the further reaction steps?
I already know:
- Blowing with compressed air at higher temperatures yields a hydroperoxy group in $\alpha$-position to the double bond.
- Epoxidation with hydrogen peroxide or alkyl hydroperoxides can be improved by transition metal complexes.
- Peroxycarboxylic acids (e.g. performic acid or peracetic acid formed in situ from the aqueous acid and aqueous hydrogen peroxide), which are more electrophilic, convert the double bonds to epoxides without metal catalysts.
But what about aqueous hydrogen peroxide alone?
We know hydrogen peroxide is a hydroperoxide and a weak acid. Does the hydrogen peroxide react according to ionic or radical mechanism under my reaction conditions?
Are the hydroperoxides formed, the epoxides, the monoalcohols, or the dialcohols?
The references contradict each other in these points or don't contain any information on the reaction conditions.
