Free radical additions of hydrogen donor solvents to tert-butyl perpent-4-enoate have given 4-substituted γ-butyrolactones, with yields of 50 % or greater. Such reactions applied to allyl-tert-butyl peroxide have produced 2,3-epoxypropanation of these solvents. Similar addition-elimination processes occurred with tert-butyl 4-methyl-perpent-4-enoate, tert-butyl 2,2-dimethyl-perpent-4-enoate and tert-butyl-methallyl