The Synthesis of Unusual Organic Molecules Using Cyclic Peroxides. New synthetic methods (3)

The photodecarboxylation of malonyl peroxides into α-lactones^1] and the thermal conversion of the 1,4-endo-peroxide 4,5-epoxy-3,6-epidioxy-1-cyclohexene into the novel benzene trioxide^2] are two recent examples of the potential of cyclic peroxides in the synthesis of unusual organic molecules. The former transformation entails a fragmentation, the latter a rearrangement process. Most reported examples fall into one of these two gross reaction types. Of the numerous examples that have been reported in the literature during the last two decades, only those shall be focused on that lead to unusual compounds or constitute efficient syntheses of known compounds, in order to stress the convenience of cyclic peroxides in the synthesis of organic compounds.