REARRANGEMENT OF EPOXIDE DERIVATIVES SEMISYNTHESIZED FROM beta-HIMACHALENE USING LEWIS AND BRONSTED ACIDS CATALYSIS

The acid-catalyzed rearrangement of epoxides3a,4a,6a, and7aderived from beta-himachalene, the major constituent of Cedrus atlantica essential oil, has been studied using various Lewis and Bronsted acids. Several new enantiomerically pure ketones were obtained in good yields and high selectivities. All products obtained were fully characterized by(1)H and(13)C NMR, and the mechanistic explanations for their formation were proposed.