Electrooxidation of activated α,ω-diols to cyclic tetramethylene acetals of the corresponding dials

Activated α,ω-diols such as ethylene glycol 1a, 1,3-propanediol 1b, but-2-ene-1,4-diol 1c and hexa-2,4-diyne-1,6-diol 1d can be converted into cyclic tetramethylene acetals of the corresponding α,ω-dials (2a–d) in 70% yield by a simple anodic oxidation in dry tetrahydrofuran on a glassy carbon anode. Glycerol 3 when subjected to similar anodic oxidation gave a structure 4 containing three seven-membered 1,3-dioxepane rings.