Tin(II) chloride catalyzed reactions of diazodiphenylmethane with vicinal diols in an aprotic solvent. The reactions with cis- and trans-1,2-cyclohexanediols and 1,2-propanediol.

The paper reports the tin(II) chloride catalyzed reactions of diazodiphenylmethane with the cis- and trans-1,2-cyclohexanediols and R,S-1,2-propanediol in 1,2-dimethoxyethane and the identification of the monodiphenylmethyl ethers formed. The catalyst is shown to work for both the cis- and trans-cyclohexanediols, but the catalyst is unstable at high reagent concentrations, especially in the case of the trans-isomer. Conditions where catalyst destruction is negligible show that the rate of the reaction with the trans-isomer is larger than with the cis-isomer. The reactions with 1,2-propanediol show small difference between the selectivity for the primary and secondary hydroxyl groups. This is in contrast with the tin(II) chloride catalyzed reactions of diazomethane and diazophenylmethane in methanol with carbohydrates, glycerol and ribonucleosides, where the primary hydroxyl group does not react.