An efficient and stereoselective conversion of lactones to substituted cyclic ethers

Article abstract of DOI:10.3987/COM-97-8060

A general route to substituted cyclic ethers has been described by using nucleophilic addition of Grignard reagents to lactones in the presence of CeCl₃ followed by the Lewis acid-induced deoxygenation of the corresponding hemiketals with Et₃SiH. Stereoselective reduction of the 5-membered adducts to the disubstituted tetrahydrofurans has been also investigated.