Sabrina Zaccaria

Isolation of a Bis-Iodurated Tetra-THF as a Trace Product from the Oxidation of Squalene with RuO4 and Its Double Ring Expansion to a Novel bis-THF-bis-THP Compound

A novel bis-iodurated polyether compound, based on an unprecedented tetra-THF backbone, has been isolated as a trace by-product of the oxidation of squalene with the catalytic system RuO2(cat.)/NaIO4. The double erythro configuration of the central portion of the molecule furnishes the first indirect support of the previously postulated pathway operating in the oxidative pentacyclization of the isoprenoid substrate. A bidirectional double oxidative bis-cyclization is invoked to explain the formation of this compound. The isolated substance was successfully subjected to a double rearrangement-ring expansion to give a novel bis-THF-bis-THP compound.

(3R,3aR,6R,6aR)-Hexa­hydro­furo[3,2-b]furan-3,6-diyl dibenzoate

The title compound, C20H18O6, prepared from d-mannitol by a two-step procedure, is a functionalized fused bis-tetrahydrofuran. In the central fragment, consisting of two fused tetrahydrofuran rings, one O atom and its two adjacent C atoms, a methylene and a bridgehead C atom, are disordered over two sets of sites with an occupancy ratio of 0.735 (9):0.265 (9). In the major component, the ring containing the disordered O atom is a half-chair conformation with twisted methylene and benzoate-substituted C atoms, whereas the other ring has a half-chair or T-form conformation. In the minor component, the ring with the disordered O atom has an envelope conformation, with the O atom as the flap, and the other ring has a half-chair conformation, with the O atom and the other bridgehead CH atom being twisted. The two aromatic rings are inclined to one another by 20.00 (12)°. In the crystal, adjacent molecules are linked via C—H⋯π interactions, forming chains propagating along [010].

(3S,3aS,6R,6aR)-2-Oxohexa­hydro­furo[3,2-b]furan-3,6-diyl dibenzoate

The title compound, C20H16O7, contains a cis-fused γ-lactone tetrahydrofuran ring system functionalized with two benzoyloxy groups. Both rings adopt an envelope conformation. The molecule assumes an elongated shape and exibits non-crystallographic C 2 symmetry. The benzoyloxy groups are almost planar [maximum deviations of 0.0491 (15) and 0.0336 (17) Å for the O atoms] and their mean planes are inclined to one another by 16.51 (4)°. The crystal packing features weak C—H⋯O interactions. The aryl groups of adjacent molecules are parallel shifted with face-to-face contacts and a shortest intermolecular C⋯C distance of 3.482 (4) Å.