Diethoxytriphenylphosphorane: A Mild, Regioselective Cyclodehydrating Reagent for Conversion of Diols to Cyclic Ethers. Stereochemistry, Synthetic Utility, and Scope

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ja00304a030

Diethoxytriphenylphosphorane, Ph3P(OEt)2, prepared by reaction of triphenylphosphine and diethyl peroxide, is a "hydrolytically active" dioxyphosphorane which promotes mild cyclodehydration (40-110 deg C) of diols to cyclic ethers in neutral media.The regioselectivity in the closure of (S)-(+)-propane-1,2-diol and (R)-(-)-pentane-1,4-diol with Ph3P(OEt)2 is high (81-82 percent) while the cyclodehydration of (S)-(+)-phenylethane-1,2-diol gives racemized (+/-)-styrene oxide.Simple 1,2-, 1,4-, and 1,5-diols afford good yields of the cyclic ethers but 1,3-propanediol and 1,6-hexanediol give mainly 3-ethoxy-1-propanol and 6-ethoxy-1-hexanol, respectively with Ph3P(OEt)2.Tri- and tetra-substituted 1,2-diols afford the relatively stable 1,3,2-dioxaphospholanes (or ?-dioxyphosphoranes) in the presence of Ph3P(OEt)2, and, depending on conditions, the 1,3,2-dioxaphospholanes are selectively converted to epoxides, ketones or allylic alcohols.The carbonyl compounds arise from 1,2-hydride and 1,2-methyl migrations; the allylic alcohols are derived from thermolytic eliminations. trans-1,2-Cyclohexanediols afford essentially quantitative yields (>95 percent) of the cyclohexene oxides while cis-1,2-cyclohexanediol gives the stable 1,3,2-dioxaphospholane with Ph3P(OEt)2 which decomposes under thermal conditions to cyclohexanone (90 percent).Ph3P(OEt)2 is extremely useful for conversion of "sensitive" 1,2-diols to acidic and /or thermally labile epoxides as demonstrated by the quantitative conversion of 9,10-dihydro-trans-9,10-phenanthrenediol to 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene oxide and 2α,10-pinanediol to 2α,10-epoxypinane.