Anodic Oxidation: An Attractive Alternative to CAN-Mediated Cleavage ofpara-Methoxyphenyl Ethers

para-Methoxyphenyl (PMP) ether is a very convenient protecting group for the alcohol function; however, its cleavage requires strong oxidative conditions. In this field, the use of powerful ceric ammonium nitrate has been widely described, despite the fact that its strong nature results in the formation of degradation products in acid- or oxidation-sensitive sub-strates. In this paper, a new anodic oxidation method for the cleavage of para-methoxyphenyl ethers in weakly basic medium is reported. This process is an attractive alternative to circumvent the use of ceric ammonium nitrate. ((C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)