Oxidative Ring Expansion of Cyclobutanols: Access to Functionalized 1,2-Dioxanes

Cyclobutanols undergo an oxidative ring expansion with Co(acac)2 and triplet oxygen to give 1,2-dioxanols. The formation of an alkoxy radical drives the regioselective cleavage of the ring on the more substituted side before insertion of molecular oxygen. The reaction is particularly effective on secondary cyclobutanols but works also on certain tertiary alcohols. Further substitution with neutral nucleophiles under catalytic Lewis acid conditions led to original 1,2-dioxanes with a preferred 3,6-cis-configuration.