A practical modification of the Barton-McCombie reaction and radical O- to S- rearrangement of xanthates

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(98)02187-X

The C-O bond in xanthates derived from carbohydrates can be reductively cleaved by heating in 2-propanol in the presence of equimolar amounts of dilauroyl peroxide, added in small portions; if benzene is used as the solvent, an O- to S- rearrangement of the xanthate occurs.