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Formation of δ-Lactones with anti-Baeyer-Villiger Regiochemistry - Investigations into the Mechanism of the Cerium-Catalyzed Aerobic Coupling of β-Oxoesters with Enol Acetates.
Title Formation of δ-Lactones with anti-Baeyer-Villiger Regiochemistry - Investigations into the Mechanism of the Cerium-Catalyzed Aerobic Coupling of β-Oxoesters with Enol Acetates.
Authors Christoffers, J.; Geibel, I.; Dierks, A.; Müller, T.
Journal Chemistry
DOI 10.1002/chem.201605468
Abstract

The cerium-catalyzed, aerobic coupling of β-oxoesters with enol acetates and dioxygen yields δ-lactones with a 1,4-diketone moiety. In contrast to the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation (BVO), where the higher substituted residue migrates, in this case of an oxidative C-C coupling reaction the less substituted alkyl residue undergoes a 1,2-shift. An endoperoxidic oxycarbenium ion comparable to the Criegee intermediate in the BVO is proposed as a reaction intermediate and submitted to conformational analysis by computational methods. As a result, the inverse regiochemistry is explained by a primary stereoelectronic effect. A Hammett analysis using different donor and acceptor substituted enol esters provides support for the oxycarbenium ion being the crucial intermediate in the rate determining step of the conversion. An overall mechanism is suggested with a radical chain reaction for the formation of endoperoxides from β-oxoesters, enol acetates and dioxygen with a cerium(IV) species as initiating reagent.