Cyclialkylation of Arylalkyl Epoxides with Solid Acid Catalysts

Abstract

Solid acids, such as zeolites and clays, catalyse the intramolecular hydroxyalkylation (cyclialkylation) of several arylalkyl epoxides in moderate to excellent conversions and selectivities. The use of solid acids in these cyclialkylations provides a cleaner, better alternative to conventional Lewis and Brønsted acids, enabling a more facile workup of reaction mixtures and, in several cases, better selectivities.