While 1,2-diacetals have been known in the literature since 1938, their specific application in organic synthesis has taken time to develop. It seems remarkable to us that given the importance of acetals, carbonyl compounds and diols that aspects of the chemistry have not been discovered previously; yet, that is the case. We have pioneered the use of dispiroketals 1 in synthesis and have reviewed this topic in detail. We have also extensively investigated the use of 1,2-diacetals 2 which provide alternative opportunities for selective diol protection and for reactivity control. Readers are directed to these reviews1, 2 as this constitutes a major research area for the group.
1. 1,2- Diacetals: A New Opportunity for Organic Synthesis S.V. Ley, D.K. Baeschlin, D.J. Dixon, A.C. Foster, S.J. Ince, H.W.M. Priepke and D.J. Reynolds, Chem. Rev., 2001, 101, 53.
2. A Fascination with 1,2-Diacetals S.V. Ley and A. Polara, J. Org. Chem., 2007, 72, 5943-5959.
