title: Synthesis of diastereomerically and enantiomerically pure 2,3-disubstituted tetrahydrofurans using a sulfoxonium ylide.
abstract: Nucleophilic substitution reactions of 2,3-epoxy alcohols, easily prepared via Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation chemistry, offer access to a wide variety of enantiomerically pure compounds. In this communication, we describe the use of a Payne rearrangement to control regioselectivity in the ring-opening of a series of 2,3-epoxy alcohols with dimethylsulfoxonium methylide to yield diastereomerically and/or enantiomerically pure disubstituted tetrahydrofuran rings. The factors influencing the success and substitution pattern of the THF ring products are discussed, including steric, electronic, and solvent effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48823, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Schomaker
authors.forename: Veera Reddy
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Pulgam
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Borhan