Ferrier carbocyclization

Next, methanol is lost and the dicarbonyl compound cyclizes through an attack on the electrophilic aldehyde to form the carbocycle as the product.

Sinaÿ proposed this reaction went through the following transition state: Sinaÿ also discovered that titanium (IV) derivatives such as [TiCl3(OiPr)] worked in the same reaction as a milder version of the Lewis acid, i-Bu3Al,[6] which goes through a similar transition state involving the retention of configuration at the anomeric center.

In 1988, Adam reported a modification of the reaction that used catalytic amounts of palladium (II) salts, which brought about the same conversion of enol ethers into carbosugars in a more environmentally friendly manner.

In 1991, Bender and co-workers reported a synthetic route to pure enantiomers of myo-inositol derivatives using this reaction.

[9] Finally, Amano et al. used the Ferrier conditions to synthesise complex conjugated cyclohexanones in 1998.