Why can't you use m-CPBA to synthesise isophorone oxide from isophorone? Apparently you must use sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide because using m-CPBA gives an undesired product



Why doesn't m-CPBA work and what does it do instead? Why does sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide work?
When using MCPBA, the undesired by-product is probably formed due to Baeyer–Villiger oxidation of the ketone to the corresponding ester (here: lactone).