Selective synthesis of alpha-chloroepoxides by electroreductive cross-coupling of methyl trichloroacetate with aliphatic aldehydes using reactive metal anodes

It was found in this study that electroreductive cross-coupling of methyl t richloroacetate with aliphatic aldehydes using a reactive metal anode gave the corresponding alpha -chloroepoxides, useful synthetic intermediates, se lectively in good yields. Furthermore, as a synthetic application to organi c synthesis, these specific products were subjected to typical reduction wi th metal hydride reagents and condensation with o-phenylenediamine, showing that they have several interesting reactivities different from those of co mmon epoxides. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.