Adams catalyst oxidation-reduction reactions

Direct hydrogenation of key intermediate 248 over the Adams catalyst and subsequent lithium aluminum hydride reduction yielded the two stereoisomeric alcohols 256 and 257, which were separately transformed to ( )-corynantheal (258) and ( )-3-epicorynantheal (259), respectively, by Moffatt oxidation, followed by Wittig reaction with methyltriphenylphosphonium bromide and, finally, by demasking the aldehyde function (151, 152). 

The reduction of palladium oxide, rhodium oxide or ruthenium oxide gives the corresponding metal blacks generated by in situ hydrogenation in the reaction mixture. At present the use of these oxides, as well as Adam s catalyst, is not common because of the cost of the materials and the relatively large amounts which are required. These materials have been replaced by the more reactive and less expensive supported metal catalysts described in Chapter 13. 

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