Synlett 2004(13): 2291-2294  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-832810
LETTER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Tetrahydrofuranylation of Alcohols Using Hypervalent Iodine Reagents

Andrew N. French*a, Jonathan Coleb, Thomas Wirth*b
a Chemistry Department, Albion College, Albion, MI 49224, USA
e-Mail: afrench@albion.edu;
b Chemistry Department, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3TB, UK
Fax: +44(29)20876968; e-Mail: wirth@cf.ac.uk;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 1 July 2004
Publication Date:
08 September 2004 (online)

Abstract

Alcohols are converted to their corresponding 2-tetrahydrofuranyl ethers using (diacetoxyiodo)benzene in THF. Reactions are carried out under reflux, or, more effectively, under microwave irradiation. Yields up to 81% are reported without the use of chlorinated solvents.

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Professor Bernhard Witulski, personal communication.

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Microwave Tetrahydrofuranylation . PhI(OAc)2 (644 mg, 2.0 mmol), THF (2.50 mL) and decanol (0.38 mL, 2.0 mmol) were placed in a microwave tube, with a magnetic stirrer and sealed. The tube was placed in a CEM Discovery Microwave reactor and heated (at 100 W) to 100 °C over 5 min, then maintained at 100 °C for 1 h. Following a 30 min cool time, the tube was removed and the contents purified directly by flash chromatography, using 8:1 petroleum ether-Et2O. The required fractions were concentrated under reduced pressure to afford a clear, colorless liquid (369 mg, 81%). 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 0.79 (t, 3 H), 1.10-1.30 (m, 14 H), 1.47 (pent., 2 H), 1.65-1.97 (m, 4 H), 3.28, 3.57, 3.79, 5.03. 13C NMR (100MHz, CDCl3): δ = 14.4, 23.0, 23.9, 26.56, 29.62, 29.68, 29.8, 29.9, 30.1, 32.3, 32.7, 67.0, 67.6, 104.0. MS (EI, 70 eV): m/z (%) = 227 (5) [M - H+], 211 (7), 141 (72), 71 (100), 57 (9), 43 (28), 41 (30).
Thermal Tetrahydrofuranylation. PhI(OAc)2 (322 mg, 1.0 mmol), THF (1.25 mL) and decanol (0.19 mL, 1.0 mmol) were placed in a microwave tube, with a magnetic stirrer and sealed. The tube was placed in an oil bath at 85 °C, for 24 h. The THF was removed under reduced pressure, and the product purified by flash chromatography, using 8:1 petroleum ether-Et2O (145 mg, 61%).