The use of the Lemieux -von Rudloff technique for the oxidation of the vinyl groups of pimaric (Ib) and sandaracopimaric (IIb) acid methyl esters has been investigated. Although the process leads to the expected C-13 acid V in the case of methyl sandaracopimarate, an unexpected epoxy acid was obtained from methyl pimarate. This product was shown to be the 8p,14p-epoxy-13-a-ketoacid V I I I a , probably arising from an intramolecular process during oxidation of the vinyl group.Canadian Journal of Chemistry. Volume 45, 1439Volume 45, (1967 Our interest in diterpene resin acids of the pimaric acid type (Ia, IIa) led us to consider these compounds as starting materials for the partial synthesis of other natural products; for instance, novel steroidal derivatives should be available by the formal insertion of one carbon atom, as illustrated in 111. The nuclear double bond between C-8 and C-14 and the vinyl group a t C-13 represent positions for elaboration of functions for carrying out such transformations (1). Accordingly, we studied the conversion of these groups into those more useful for ring closure.T o achieve a stepwise synthesis, different functionality was required a t the double bonds mentioned. The enhanced reactivity of the vinyl group to hydrogenation (2, 4), hydroboration (3), and hydroxylation (4) suggested that a preferential oxidation process should be possible a t that site, leading to acids of type IV. A sequence paralleling that of Edwards (4) or a similar method (5) would seem possible, but in our hands this route proved impractical since relatively large amounts of the C-13 acid could not be obtained in a high yield or in a sufficiently pure form for further studies. I t was thus decided to attempt a selective oxidation of the vinyl group; the method vie considered most amenable to variations in the reaction parameters was that of Lemieux and von Rudloff (6). This tech-niclue involves the use of a c a t a l~~t i c amount of potassium permanganate in a buffered solution of sodium metaperiodate. The double bond is attacked by the permanganate, which is continually being regenerated from its reduced state by the periodate. Any glycols or a-ketols (8-9) that are formed are then cleaved by the excess periodate present ; further oxidation of aldehydes by permanganate to acids ensues. This method was applied to the methyl esters of pimaric (Ib) and sandaracopimaric acids (IIb), and the results are described in this r e~o r t .T h e oxidation of methyl sandaracopimarate (IIb), using 4 M equivalents of periodate with t-butyl alcohol as solvent (lo), gave 55% of the ester acid V, whereas 6 equivalents of oxidant gave 85% of this product, whose structure was deduced as follows. T h e infrared spectrum showed absorption characteristic of an acid (3 100 and 1 695 cm-l) and an ester (1 735 cm-l), and the nuclear magnetic resonance (n.m.r.) spectrum showed a single unsplit peak in the olefinic region a t 4.43 T, indicating loss of the vinyl group. T h e methyl signal attributable to the C-13 methyl group (11...