1. Baeyer-Villiger Oxidation: Ketones to Esters Bronsted acid/base interaction: Carbonyl oxygen is protonated. This will generate a more reactive carbonyl group

2. Baeyer-Villiger Oxidation: Ketones to Esters Nucleophilic Attack of the peroxy acid on the highly reactive carbonyl unit

3. Baeyer-Villiger Oxidation: Ketones to Esters Sigma bonding electron-pair migrates with the phenyl group to the electropositive oxygen centre. This in turn initiates reorganization of sigma- and pi- bonding electrons in the peroxy acid group. The PHENYL group migration is very reminiscent of the [1,2]-Methyl shift in carbocation rearrangements.

4. Baeyer-Villiger Oxidation: Ketones to Esters Positive charge on carbon is neutralized through the loss of the hydroxyl hydrogen as a PROTON

5. Baeyer-Villiger Oxidation: Ketones to Esters Phenyl acetate