An in situ generated hypervalent iodine species, bis(tert-butylperoxy)iodobenzene, was used as a peroxy radical source for the oxidation of unreactive, remote, and isolated alkyl (cyclic or aliphatic) esters and amides to the corresponding keto compounds under very mild conditions.
The reaction of bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane 1, possessing a doubly activatedcyclopropanering, with acetic acid and potassium acetate in DMSO proceeded smoothly to give the adduct 2 in good yield. A formal total synthesis of the potent anti-HIV agent (+/-)-carbovir (9) was done by converting 2 into a known precursor 8 in 8 steps via allyl alcohol 7 including the regioselective introduction of a double bond