Thiazolylidene‐Catalyzed Cleavage of Methyl Oleate‐Derived α‐Hydroxy Ketone to the Corresponding Free Aldehydes

Abstract The thiazolylidene‐catalyzed cleavage of the α‐hydroxy ketone derived from methyl oleate gave the corresponding aldehydes under nonoxidative conditions through a retro‐benzoin process. The aldehydes produced are in equilibrium with their corresponding acyloins. To illustrate the synthetic utility of this protocol, the aldehydes were recovered by distillation.