Abstract Periodate oxidation of cis-1, 2-dihydrocatechol (3a) affords (Z, Z)-muconaldehyde (2b), which can be readily converted (thermolysis and triethylamine catalysis, respectively) into its (E, Z)-(2c) and (E, E)-isomer (2a). Similarly, cis-1, 2-dihydro-3-methylcatechol (3b) gives (Z, Z)-2-methylmuconaldehyde (2d) and thence (E, E)-2-methylmuconaldehyde (2c).
[Klotz, Bjoern; Barnes, Ian; Becker, Karl H.; Golding, Bernard T. Journal of the Chemical Society - Faraday Transactions, 1997 , vol. 93, # 8 p. 1507 - 1516]
