Woodward cis-hydroxylation

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Woodward cis-hydroxylation
Named after Robert Burns Woodward
Reaction type addition reaction
Identifiers
Organic Chemistry Portal woodward-reaction

The Woodward cis-hydroxylation (also known as the Woodward reaction) is the chemical reaction of alkenes with iodine and silver acetate in wet acetic acid to form cis-diols.[1][2](conversion of olefin into cis-diol)

The reaction is named after its discoverer, Robert Burns Woodward.

The Woodward cis-hydroxylation
The Woodward cis-hydroxylation

This reaction has found application in steroid synthesis.[3]

Reaction mechanism

The reaction of the iodine with the alkene is promoted by the silver acetate, thus forming an

anchimeric assistance, the iodine is displaced via another SN2 reaction to give an oxonium ion
(5), which is subsequently hydrolyzed to the give the mono-ester (6).

The mechanism of the Woodward cis-hydroxylation
The mechanism of the Woodward cis-hydroxylation

References

See also