1,3-ジオキサシクロヘプタンとエチレンオキシドとの新規環拡大反応による1,4,7,10-テトラオキサシクロテトラデカンの生成

We found a novel ring-expansion reaction of 1,3-dioxacycloheptane with ethylene oxide to form 1,4,7,10-tetraoxacyclotetradecane. The reaction is thought to be composed of the following three steps: first, formation of an active intermediate from 3 mol of ethylene oxide and 1 mol of 1,3-dioxacycloheptane; second, elimination of formaldehyde from the intermediate; and finally, cyclization to form 1,4,7,10-tetraoxacyclotetradecane. The relation between the ring size and the ring strain energy is thought to be deeply involved in a significant factor in this novel reaction.