General Synthesis of meso -1,4-Dialdehydes and Their Application in Ir-Catalyzed Asymmetric Tishchenko Reactions.

A practical synthesis of meso -1,4-dialdehydes based on the oxidative cleavage of cyclobutanediol derivatives using polymer-supported periodate was developed. The meso -1,4-dialdehydes were obtained in up to >99% yield and subsequently employed in Ir-catalyzed asymmetric Tishchenko reactions to give the corresponding chiral lactones, which are versatile synthetic intermediates, in good yield with moderate enantiomeric excess. The catalytically active species was identified by means of cold-spray ionization mass spectrometry and 1 H NMR spectroscopy.