Chemoselective Deprotection of Levulinic Ester (Lev) With Ethanolic KOH‐2‐MeTHF: A Green Alternative to Hydrazinolysis

Herein, we report a potassium hydroxide‐mediated chemoselective deprotection of levulinic ester (Lev) in 2‐methyltetrahydrofuran (2‐MeTHF) in the presence of various functionalities at ambient temperature. This mild deprotection protocol, using cost‐effective and safe‐to‐handle reagents, is scalable and useful for deprotecting levulinic ester (Lev) in complex molecules such as steroids, amino acids, and carbohydrates in the presence of various functionalities/protecting groups. This approach would be an excellent alternative to hydrazinolysis, which poses significant safety and environmental concerns.