A New Environmentally Benign Catalytic Process for the Asymmetric Synthesis of Lactones: Synthesis of the Flavouring δ‐Decalactone Molecule

The system Sn‐Beta/hydrogen peroxide is applied to the Baeyer–Villiger oxidation of delfone to δ‐decalactone, which is an industrial fragrance. The reaction is carried out without solvent and with a substrate/catalyst ratio>200 (wt/wt). Starting with an enantiomerically enriched delfone it is shown that the rearrangement occurs with retention of configuration at the migrating asymmetric carbon atom, and enantiomerically enriched δ‐decalactone is obtained as product. This process offers clear advantages over the actual industrial production that uses peracids as oxidants.