Selective cleavage of allyl and propargyl ethers to alcohols catalyzed by Ti(O-i-Pr)4/MXn/Mg.

[reaction: see text] Allyl and propargyl ethers were effectively deallylated or depropargylated to the parent alcohols via a C-O bond cleavage catalyzed by a low-valent titanium reagent (LVT), Ti(O-i-Pr)4/TMSCl/Mg or Ti(O-i-Pr)4/MgBr2/Mg, under mild reaction conditions. Differentiation between the allyl and propargyl ethers was achieved by the reaction in the presence of AcOEt as an additive. The reagent also catalyzed intra- and intermolecular cyclotrimerization reactions of alkynes to substituted benzenes.