Syntheses of 2,3-dihydroxycyclohexylacetic acid γ-lactones

Abstract

Oxidation of cyclohex-2-enylacetic acid with performic acid gives 2-cis-3-trans dihydroxycyclohexylacetic acid γ-lactone. Oxidation with neutral aqueous permanganate solution gives two diols, 2-cis-3-cis-dihydroxycyclohexylacetic acid and 2-trans-3-trans-dihydroxycyclohexylacetic acid, both of which can be lactonised to the correspondingγ-lactones.