Alcohols desymmetrizations

Kinetic Resolution of Racemic Alcohols/Desymmetrization of Meso-Diols... 

Desymmetrization of meso-bis-allylic alcohols is an effective method for the preparation of chiral functionalized intermediates from meso-substrates. Schreiber et al has shown that divinyl carbonyl 58 is epoxidized in good enantioselectivity. However, because the product epoxy alcohols 59 and 60 also contain a reactive allylic alcohol that are diastereomeric in nature, a second epoxidation would occur at different rates and thus affect the observed ee for the first AE reaction and the overall de. Indeed, the major diastereomeric product epoxide 59 resulting from the first AE is less reactive in the second epoxidation. Thus, high de is easily obtainable since the second epoxidation removes the minor diastereomer. 

An impressive application of the (salen) Co-catalyzed intramolecular ARO of meso-epoxy alcohols in the context of total synthesis was reported recently by Danishefsky [33], Enantioselective desymmetrization of intermediate 9 by use of the cobalt acetate catalyst 8 at low temperatures afforded compound 10, which was obtained in 86% ee and >86% yield (Scheme 7.18). Straightforward manipulation of 10 eventually produced an intermediate that intersected Danishefsky s previ-... 

Andersson also showed that, in addition to meso-desymmetrization, kinetic resolution of some cyclic epoxides by use of the first-generation catalyst was also possible, giving both epoxides and allylic alcohols in good yields (Scheme 7.51) [108], Kozmin reported the effective use of the same catalyst in the desymmetrization of diphenylsilacyclopentene oxide. The resulting products could be used in the ster-eocontrolled syntheses of various acyclic polyols (Scheme 7.52) [109]. 

Enzymatic desymmetrization of prochiral or meso-alcohols to yield enantiopure building blocks is a powerful tool in the synthesis of natural products. For example, a synthesis ofconagenin, an immunomodulator isolated from a Streptomyces, involved two enzymatic desymmetrizations [149]. The syn-syn triad of the add moiety was prepared via a stereoselective acylation of a meso-diol, whereas the amine fragment was obtained by the PLE-catalyzed hydrolysis of a prochiral malonate (Figure 6.56). 

With a concise route to enantiopure 49 identified, Merlic was able to effect desymmetrization by controlled methanolysis to access calphostins B (4b) and C (4c) (Scheme 7.10). The carbonate linkage of calphostin C was installed via reaction of the free alcohol with phosgene and 4-acetoxyphenol, thus completing the first synthesis of calphostin C in 16 steps. 

The kinetic resolution by etherification has also been conducted through the cyclization of epoxy aliphatic alcohols.274 In these reactions catalyzed by monomeric complex 51, the ring closure of acyclic substrates occurred with exclusive / -selectivity (Equation (74)), whereas m -openings were observed in the desymmetrization of... 

Hoye demonstrated that the carbonyl group that lies on the C2-symmetric axis in keto diacid 119 can be reduced to alcohol 120. When followed by acid-catalyzed lactonization of the hydroxyl group with either a C-l or C-9 carboxyl group, monolactone 121 or ent-121 can be produced, thus realizing the desymmetrization of substrate 119 (Scheme 8-45). 

Benzyloxy-2-methylpropane-l,2-diol, a desymmetrized form of 2-methylpropane-1,2,3-triol with its terminal hydroxy being protected as a benzyl ether, was prepared using the B. subtilis epoxide hydrolase-catalyzed enantioselective hydrolysis of the racemic benzyloxymethyl-l-methyloxirane readily available from methallyl chloride and benzyl alcohol. The preparation of the racemic epoxide, a key intermediate, was described in Procedures 1 and 2 (Sections 5.6.1 and 5.6.2), its overall yield being 78 %. The combined yield of enantiomerically pure (7 )-3-benzyloxy-2-methylpropane-l,2-diol was 74 % from ( )-benzyloxymethyl-l-methyloxirane, as described in Procedures 3-5 (Sections 5.6.3 and 5.6.5), with the overall procedures leading to the biocatalytic dihydroxylation of benzyl methallyl ether . 

The groups of Sigman and Stoltz have concurrently published the palladium-catalyzed oxidative kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols using molecular oxygen as the stoichiometric oxidant. Both communications also described a single example of a diol desymmetrization using a palladium catalyst in the presence of (—(-sparteine [Eqs. (10.42) ° and (10.43) ] ... 

A hydroboration-oxidation sequence has been described for the desymmetrization of bicyclic hydrazino-alkenes. The use of BDPP as a chiral ligand on Rh provides the desired alcohol in 84% ee, following oxidation of the hydroborated... 

The desymmetrization works also well with higher substituted meio-epoxides such as ewdo-norbornene oxide (130) , cis-5,6- and 4,7-difunctionalized cyclooctene oxides 132 and 134, giving the alcohols 131, 133 and 135, respectively but for the diastereomer 136, the rearrangement to form the allylic alcohol 138 beside 137 cannot be completely suppressed (equation 29 best results are given). ... 

Zopiclone is a chiral cyclopyrrolone with hypnotic properties, possessing a pharmaceutical profile of high efficacy and low toxicity, similar to that of benzodiazepines. Zopiclone has been commercialized as a racemic mixture however, the (S)-enantiomer is more active and less toxic than the (R)-enantiomer [11]. Although enzymatic hydrolysis of esters or transesteriflcation processes of alcohols have been widely applied for enzymatic resolution or desymmetrization... 

Oxidative kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols mediated with a catalytic amount of optically active binaphthyl-type iV-oxyl has been performed with high selectivity". Also, it has mediated oxidative asymmetric desymmetrization of primary alcohols with good selectivity (equation 25)". ... 

The kinetic resolution of C2-symmetric racemic substrate as shown in Scheme 8E.22 requires differentiation between the starting material and the monoalkylated product 113 in addition to the enantiodiscrimination in the ionization step. With a bulky carboxylic acid as nucleophile, the racemic tetraacetate of conduritol B was efficiently resolved under phase-transfer conditions [68]. Further elaboration of the hydrolytically desymmetrized alcohol resulted in the synthesis of the important glycosidase inhibitor, (+)-cyclophellitol. 

Asymmetric epoxidation, dihydroxylation, aminohydroxylation, and aziridination reactions have been reviewed.62 The use of the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation method for the desymmetrization of mesa compounds has been reviewed.63 The conformational flexibility of nine-membered ring allylic alcohols results in transepoxide stereochemistry from syn epoxidation using VO(acac)2-hydroperoxide systems in which the hydroxyl group still controls the facial stereoselectivity.64 The stereoselectivity of side-chain epoxidation of a series of 22-hydroxy-A23-sterols with C(19) side-chains incorporating allylic alcohols has been investigated, using m-CPBA or /-BuOOH in the presence of VO(acac)2 or Mo(CO)6-65 The erythro-threo distributions of the products were determined and the effect of substituents on the three positions of the double bond (gem to the OH or cis or trans at the remote carbon) partially rationalized by molecular modelling. 

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