Dimethyl-octa-2,6-dienyl -phenol

The epoxide was isolated from the cmde reaction mixture by column chromatography (eluent petrol/Et20 80/20) (204.2 mg, 83% yield). 

2 VO(acac)2/TBHP/TFA CATALYZED OXIDATIVE CYCLIZATION OF 2-(3,7-DIMETHYL-OCTA-2,6-DIENYL)-PHENOL 

3-Chromanol 4 and 2,3-dihydro-benzofuranol 3 were isolated from the crude reaction mixture by column chromatography (petrol/Et20 90/10-80/20). 3-Chromanol 4 (172.2 mg, 70% yield). 

The procedures are very easy to reproduce and the mild and catalytic conditions are far superior to previously employed m-CPBA , to perform, respectively, the epoxidation and the oxidative cyclization of 2-(2-alkenyl)phenols. 

5 AN OXAZOLIDINONE KETONE CATALYST FOR THE ASYMMETRIC EPOXIDATION OF cis-OLEFINS 

---