High yield protection of alcohols, including tertiary and base sensitive alcohols, as benzhydryl ethers by heating with diphenyldiazomethane in the absence of any other reagent

A protecting group that can be introduced efficiently without the need for any acid or base catalysis and which is not prone to acid or base catalysed migration is a significant advantage for many syntheses. Benzhydryl [diphenylmethyl] ethers of sugar lactones are formed in high yield under neutral conditions when the corresponding alcohol is heated with diphenyldiazomethane in an inert solvent such as acetonitrile or toluene; this allows the easy protection of base sensitive and highly hindered tertiary alcohols in the absence of any other reagents.