Dienediol-phenol rearrangement

A related dienediol-phenol rearrangement which can occur by different pathways was reported as a new method for synthesis of the oxepine system180. Protonation of the starting diol 344 produces a cation 345 which can follow normal dienone-phenol rearrangement (path a) when the substituents R2 = Me, Ph and R1 = t-Bu are eliminated in the step 346 — 347. However, when R1 = t-Bu and R2 is a substituted phenyl which decreases the nucleophility, the cationoid intermediate 345 cyclizes to the oxonium ion 348 (path b) which then undergoes deprotonation to give the oxepine 349 (equation 124)180. 

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