The Conversion of Levoglucosenone into Isolevoglucosenone

Abstract

Levoglucosenone (1), a compound that will soon be available in tonne quantities through the pyrolysis of acid-treated lignocellulosic biomass, has been converted into isolevoglucosenone (2) using Wharton rearrangement chemistry. Treatment of compound 1 with alkaline hydrogen peroxide gave the γ-lactones 5 and 6 rather than the required epoxy-ketones 3 and/or 4. However, the latter pair of compounds could be obtained by an initial Luche reduction of compound 1, electrophilic epoxidation of the resulting allylic alcohol 8 and oxidation of the product oxiranes 9 and 10. Independent treatment of compounds 3 and 4 with hydrazine then acetic acid followed by oxidation of the ensuing allylic alcohols finally afforded isolevoglucosenone (2). Details of the single-crystal X-ray analyses of epoxy-alcohols 9 and 10 are reported.