Efficient asymmetric synthesis of chiral hydroxy-gamma-butyrolactones.

Treatment of beta-vinyl-beta-hydroxy-N-acyloxazolidin-2-ones with VO(acac)(2) and tert-butyl hydroperoxide results in formation of unstable epoxides that are ring-opened by intramolecular nucleophilic attack of their exocyclic carbonyl fragments to afford highly functionalized trisubstituted hydroxy-gamma-butyrolactones in >95% de, with a polymer-supported oxazolidin-2-one having been used to transfer this methodology to the solid phase.