Synthesis and reactions of donor cyclopropanes: efficient routes to cis- and trans-tetrahydrofurans

A detailed study on the synthesis and reactions of silylmethylcyclopropanes is reported. In their simplest form, these donor-only cyclopropanes undergo Lewis acid promoted reaction to give either cis- or trans-tetrahydrofurans, with the selectivity being reaction condition-dependant. The adducts themselves are demonstrated to be an important scaffold for structural diversification. The combination of a silyl-donor group in a donor-acceptor cyclopropane with novel acceptor groups is also discussed.

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