Electrolytic cleavage of 1,2,4-trioxolanes produced from partial and complete ozonation of SFO methyl esters was presented. The electroreduction was conducted in an undivided cell using copper electrodes in the presence of alcohol and carboxylic acid as proton donor and either LiClO4 or NaClO4 as supporting electrolyte. The temperature of the system during electrolysis should be maintained below 100degreesC to avoid possible thermolysis of 1,2,4-trioxolanes. FTIR and H-1 and C-13 NMR analyses revealed that the reduction products include aldehyde, terminal alkene and acetal. Possible mechanisms explaining the formation of identified functional groups were discussed. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.