Oxidative conversion of β-hydroxyselenides to epoxides and ketones with meta-chloroperbenzoic acid

Abstract

Treatment of β-hydroxy-primary-alkyl and β-hydroxy-β-phenyl-primary-alkyl selenides with 3–5 equiv. of meta-chloroperbenzoic acid in methanol or tetrahydrofuran gives the corresponding epoxides and phenyl migrated ketones, respectively, in high yields.