PREPARATION OF TETRA-N-BUTYLAMMONIUM PEROXYDISULFATE - NOVEL TETRAHYDROFURANYLATION [1] AND TETRAHYDROPYRANYLATION OF ALCOHOLS

Tetra-n-butylammonium peroxydisulfate (Bu(4)N(+) (OS)-O--(O-2)O-O(O-2)SO- (+)NBu4: (TBA)2S2O8) has been successfully prepared and turned out to be a useful source of the tetra-n-butylammonium sulfate radical in organic solvents. Primary, secondary, tertiary alcohols containing functional groups, such as benzylic, allylic, and sulfide, reacted with tetrahydrofuran or tetrahydropyran in the presence of (TBA)(2)S2O8 to give the corresponding 2-tetrahydrofuranyl- or 2-tetrahydropyranyl-ether in excellent yields under nearly neutral conditions.