Bismuth triflate: An efficient catalyst for the formation and deprotection of tetrahydropyranyl ethers

The tetrahydropyranylation of alcohols under solvent-free conditions is efficiently catalyzed by bismuth triflate (0.1 mol %). The experimental procedure is simple and works well with a variety of alcohols and phenols. The catalyst is insensitive to air and small amounts of moisture, easy to handle and relatively nontoxic. The deprotection of THP ethers is also catalyzed by bismuth triflate (1.0 mol %). ((C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003).