Lactols reacted with enol acetates by a Lewis acid reagent, derived from N-chlorosuccinimide and tin(II) chloride, to produce 2-acetonyl cyclic ethers diastereoselectively.
The reaction of lithiated aldimines, prepared from activated amides, with epoxides leads to good yields of 2-aminotetrahydrofurans (neutral hydrolysis) and 2-hydroxytetrahydrofurans (acid hydrolysis). Various epoxides were examined.