One-pot synthesis and SAR study of cis-2,6-dialkyl-4-chloro-tetrahydropyrans

A series of cis-2,6-dialkyl-4-chloro-tetrahydropyrans were prepared by means of an iron(III)-catalyzed process. The in vitro antiproliferative activities were examined in the human solid tumor cell lines A2780, SW1573, and WiDr. The results show that the presence of bulky substituents favors the Prins cyclization leading to new products with better activity profile against all cell lines tested.