Fragmentation of chloroperoxides: hypochlorite-mediated dehydration of hydroperoxyacetals to esters

Hypochlorites efficiently dehydrate hydroperoxyacetals to furnish the corresponding esters. The reaction, which can be accomplished with stoichometric Ca(OCl)2 or with catalytic amounts of t-BuOCl, appears to involve formation and heterolytic fragmentation of secondary chloroperoxides, species not previously described in solution chemistry.