methoxymethylation of a variety of alcohols was performed using formaldehyde dimethyl acetal in the presence of 1,3-dichloro-5,5-dimethyl hydantoin [dcdmh] and poly n,n′-dibromo-n-ethyl naphthyl-2,7-disulfonamide [pbns] as catalysts at room temperature and under solvent-free conditions. our experiments show that primary and secondary alcohols can be smoothly converted into the corresponding mom...

2-Benzyloxy-1-methylpyridinium triflate (1) is emerging as a mild, convenient, and in some cases uniquely effective new reagent for the synthesis of benzyl ethers and esters. This article provides a revised benzyl transfer protocol in which N-methylation of 2-benzyloxypyridine delivers the active reagent in situ. Observations on the appropriate choice of solvent (toluene vs. trifluorotoluene) a...

A new method for the preparation of highly substituted cyclohexenones is reported. [2 + 2] Cycloaddition of 2-silyloxydienes with allenecarboxylate affords the 1-alkenyl-3-alkylidenecyclobutanol silyl ethers. Thermolysis of these compounds affords the methylene cyclohexenyl silyl ethers with excellent exo selectivity (>95:5) when monosubstituted alkenyl groups are used, while the use of disubst...

Synthesis of highly substituted 3-fluorofurans is reported. The sequence began with preparation of tert-butyldimethylsilyl alk-1-en-3-yn-1-yl ethers from 1,4-disubstituted alk-3-yn-1-ones. Subsequent fluorination of alkenynyl silyl ethers with Selectfluor gave 2-fluoroalk-3-yn-1-ones in almost quantitative yield. Subsequent 5-endo-dig cyclizations using chlorotriphenylphosphine gold(I)/silver t...