Acetonyltriphenylphosphonium bromide and its polymer-supported analogues as catalysts in protection and deprotection of alcohols as alkyl vinyl ethers

Both acetonyltriphenylphosphonium bromide (ATPB, 1) and poly-p-styryldiphenylacetonylphosphonium bromide (A) were effective catalysts in the protection of alcohols as THP, THF, and EE ethers as well as the cleavage of THP, THF, and EE ethers to the corresponding alcohols. They could be applied to 1°, 2° and 3° alcohols, phenol and acid-labile alcohols. Both ATPB and catalyst A are excellent catalysts in the present study. It needed only 1×10−2–1.25×10−2 mol equiv. of the polymer-supported catalyst A in the reactions.