Aldehydes asymmetric synthesis

The most recent, and probably most elegant, process for the asymmetric synthesis of (+)-estrone appHes a tandem Claisen rearrangement and intramolecular ene-reaction (Eig. 23). StereochemicaHy pure (185) is synthesized from (2R)-l,2-0-isopropyhdene-3-butanone in an overall yield of 86% in four chemical steps. Heating a toluene solution of (185), enol ether (187), and 2,6-dimethylphenol to 180°C in a sealed tube for 60 h produces (190) in 76% yield after purification. Ozonolysis of (190) followed by base-catalyzed epimerization of the C8a-hydrogen to a C8P-hydrogen (again similar to conversion of (175) to (176)) produces (184) in 46% yield from (190). Aldehyde (184) was converted to 9,11-dehydroestrone methyl ether (177) as discussed above. The overall yield of 9,11-dehydroestrone methyl ether (177) was 17% in five steps from 6-methoxy-l-tetralone (186) and (185) (201). 

MEYERS Asymmetric synthesis Chiral oxaioles in asymmetric synthesis of cartxixylic acids, aldehydes, chiral dihydronaphthalenes. 

Asymmetric Synthesis of Epoxides and Aziridines from Aldehydes and I mines... 

It is interesting to speculate that asymmetric induction may be the consequence of the exo anomeric effect, a stereoelectronic effect that favors the conformation 5 that places the aglycone O-C bond antiperiplanar to the pyran C(1) —C(2) bond7fi. Related asymmetric induction has also been observed in aldehyde addition reactions of the related, but racemic, pinacol (Z)-y-(tetrahydropyranyloxy)allylboronate49. As indicated in the examples above, however, the level of diastereoselectivity is modest and the only application in asymmetric synthesis is Wuts exo-brevicomin synthesis75. 

In Ugi four-component reactions (for mechanism, see Section 1.4.4.1.) all four components may potentially serve as the stereodifferentiating tool65. However, neither the isocyanide component nor the carboxylic acid have pronounced effects on the overall stereodiscrimination60 66. As a consequence, the factors influencing the stereochemical course of Ugi reactions arc similar to those in Strecker syntheses. The use of chiral aldehydes is commonly found in substrate-controlled syntheses whereas the asymmetric synthesis of new enantiomerically pure compounds via Ugi s method is restricted to the application of optically active amines as the chiral auxiliary group. 

Diastereoselective and enantioselective [3C+2S] carbocyclisations have been recently developed by Barluenga et al. by the reaction of tungsten alkenylcarbene complexes and enamines derived from chiral amines. Interestingly, the regio-chemistry of the final products is different for enamines derived from aldehydes and those derived from ketones. The use of chiral non-racemic enamines allows the asymmetric synthesis of substituted cyclopentenone derivatives [77] (Scheme 30). 

The asymmetric synthesis of unsymmetrical vicinal diamines by samarium diiodide induced reductive coupling of nitrones derived from aUphatic aldehydes with optically pure N-tert-butanesulfinyl aromatic imines has been recently reported [41]. For example, the reaction between nitrone 55 and... 

Wilson JE, Fu GC (2004) Asymmetric synthesis of highly substituted P-lactones by nucleophile-catalyzed [2 -t 2] cycloadditions of disubstituted ketenes with aldehydes. Angew Chem Int Ed 43 6358-6360... 

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