Synthesis and oxygen-atom transfer reactions of 3-hydroperoxy-3,4,4,5,5-pentasubstituted-1,2-dioxolanes

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/jhet.5570330464

A series of 3-hydroperoxy-3,4,4,5,5-pentasubstituted-1,2-dioxolanes 2a-d were synthesized in good yield from the corresponding 3-hydroxy-1,2-dioxolanes by reaction with concentrated hydrogen peroxide in acetonitrile with p-toluenesulfonic acid as catalyst. The 3-hydroperoxy-1,2-dioxolanes were effective oxygen-atom transfer reagents for the oxidation of thioanisole, triethylamine and 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene to the sulfoxide, N-oxide and epoxide, respectively. The reactions occurred under mild conditions and were found to be of the second order overall. The second order rate constants (k₂) were determined for oxidation of thioanisole by 2a-d in deuteriochloroform. For 2a, k₂ values for N-oxidation and epoxidation were also measured. The 3-hydroperoxy-1,2-dioxolanes were found to be less reactive than the structurally similar cyclic α-azohydroperoxides but much more reactive than simple hydroperoxides. The mechanism of oxygen-atom transfer is postulated to occur via nucleophilic attack of the substrate on the terminal oxygen of the hydroperoxide. Intramolecular hydrogen bonding of the hydroperoxy proton to a dioxolane oxygen appears to account for the reaction order in aprotic media.