Boron Trifluoride Etherate epoxide cleavage

In contrast to the reductive cleavage of 1-methylcyclohexene epoxide with LiAlH4 or, better, with LiEtjBH to produce 1-methylcyclohexanol, reduction of the epoxide with sodium cyanoborohydride in the presence of boron trifluoride etherate furnishes cE-2-methylcyclohexanol. In this case, complexation of the epoxide oxygen with the Lewis acid BF3 now directs hydride addition to the more substituted carbon, which can better sustain the induced partial positive charge. 

Furthermore, pyrazol-3-ones have been oxidized by a variety of oxidizing agents such as ozone in oxygen, hydrogen peroxide solution, 3-chloroperbenzoic acid, aqueous sodium periodate, lead(IV) acetate with boron trifluoride etherate, or atmospheric oxidation. The reactions lead mainly to epoxidation of an alkene or imine functionality and cleavage of the pyrazol-3-one ring. 

In the case of the tricyclic epoxides la-c the outcome of the reaction depends on the ring size. The formation of 2 and 3 was explained by the following mechanism. Cleavage of the epoxide ring with boron trifluoride diethyl ether complex gives the zwitterionic intermediate 4. Subsequent transfer of fluoride anion to the cationic center C2 leads to fluoroborate 5 (path a), which is hydrolyzed to yield 2. Spiro ketone 3 is obtained by a 1,2-alkyl shift in 4 (path b). 

Medium and large rings can be made via cationic intermediates which are usually generated by treatment of suitable precursors with acid. Reactions of this class are perchloric acid catalyzed rearrangements of bicyclo[n.l.0]alkan-2-ols (n > 5), solvolysis of the corresponding esters, boron trifluoride-diethyl ether complex catalyzed cleavage of epoxides, and tri-fluoroacetic acid catalyzed reactions of 7-(methylsulfanyl)bicyclo[n.l.0]alkanes. 

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