Oxidation of hydrazones by hypervalent organoiodine reagents: Regeneration of the carbonyl group and facile syntheses of α-acetoxy and α-alkoxy azo compounds
derivatives of α-keto esters were prepared. The carbonyl group was readily regenerated in high yield from phenylhydrazones through oxidative hydrolysis using hypervalent organoiodine(III) reagents—either bis(trifluoroacetoxy)-iodobenzene (BTIB) in aqueous acetonitrile or hydroxy(tosyloxy)iodobenzene (HTIB) in chloroform. α-Acetoxy phenyl- or methylazo compounds were readily synthesized by oxidation of the