Synthesis of ω‐Hydroxy Fatty Acid Alkyl Esters by Macrocyclic Lactones Alcoholysis Catalyzed by Homoleptic and Heteroleptic Zinc Aryloxides

A series of zinc aryloxides, [Zn4(sal‐Me)8]⋅2.5(C7H8) (1), [Zn4(sal‐Me)8]⋅CH2Cl2 (2), [Zn4(μ3‐OR)2(sal‐R)6] (3) (for R=Me (0.51), Et (0.49)), [Zn4(μ3‐OMe)4(sal‐Me)4(HOMe)4] (4), [Zn(sal‐Me)2(py)2]⋅THF (5), {[Zn(sal‐Me)2(tmbpy)] ⋅ 2(C6H5CH3)}n (6), [Zn2(sal‐Me)2(THF)2Cl2] ⋅ 0.5(C6H5CH3) (7), and [Zn4(μ3‐OMe)2(sal‐Me)4Cl2] (8) (Hsal‐Me=methyl salicylate, py=pyridine, tmbpy=4,4′‐trimethylenedipyridine) were obtained that have different nuclearities and central core topologies and contain ligands of different basicity and coordination abilities. A simple, efficient strategy was developed for ω‐HFA methyl esters synthesis by macrocyclic lactones alcoholysis catalyzed by homoleptic and heteroleptic zinc aryloxides with different central core structures.