Convenient synthesis of chlorohydrins from epoxides using zinc oxide: Application to 5,6‐epoxysitosterol

Abstract Efficient synthesis of protected and unprotected chlorohydrins has been achieved by ring opening of epoxides with acetyl/benzoyl chloride and TMSCl using a catalytic amount of ZnO as a reusable catalyst. The applicability of ZnO is further extended by performing the cleavage of the natural product 5,6‐epoxysitosterol with acetyl chloride. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 20:157–163, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20529