Epoxidation-alcoholysis of cyclic enol ethers catalyzed by Ti(OiPr)4 or Venturello's peroxophosphotungstate complex.

Venturello's peroxophosphotungstate compound and Ti(O(i)Pr)(4) were successfully used as catalysts for the epoxidation-alcoholysis of various dihydropyrans and dihydrofuran using H(2)O(2) as the oxidant. Different alcohols can be used as solvents and nucleophiles, resulting in hydroxy ether products with varying alkoxy groups. The Venturello compound can also be used as catalyst in a biphasic conversion of dihydropyran, in which long chain alcohols or fatty acids are incorporated in the hydroxy ether products with high yield and (stereo)selectivity.