A Formal, One-Pot β‑Chlorination of Primary Alcohols and Its Utilization in the Transformation of Terpene Feedstock and the Synthesis of a C2‑Symmetrical Terminal Bis-Epoxide

A one-pot transformation of alkan-1-ols into 2-chloroalkan-1-ols is described. As a practical application, terpene-derived primary alcohols were converted into semiochemicals such as olfactory lactones (aerangis lactone, whisky lactone, and cognac lactone) and pheromones (cruentol and ferrugineol). Using heptane-1,7-diol as a bifunctional substrate, the corresponding bis-epoxide was synthesized by bidirectional synthesis in good yield and high enantioselectivity.