Alkenes macrocycles

In an alternative application of this DNA-based technology, a novel palladium-catalysed allgtne-alkene macrocyclization reaction was identified (Scheme 11.38). Optimization of this reaction for metal catalyst system, solvent, temperature and time was also enabled by using the DNA-template methodology, which led to a highly efficient ring closure of 277 to 278 in excellent yield. 

Since then, the metathesis reaction has been extended to other types of alkenes, viz. substituted alkenes, dienes and polyenes, and to alkynes. Of special interest is the metathesis of cycloalkenes. This gives rise to a ring enlargement resulting in macrocyclic compounds and eventually poly-... 

An obvious drawback in RCM-based synthesis of unsaturated macrocyclic natural compounds is the lack of control over the newly formed double bond. The products formed are usually obtained as mixture of ( /Z)-isomers with the (E)-isomer dominating in most cases. The best solution for this problem might be a sequence of RCAM followed by (E)- or (Z)-selective partial reduction. Until now, alkyne metathesis has remained in the shadow of alkene-based metathesis reactions. One of the reasons maybe the lack of commercially available catalysts for this type of reaction. When alkyne metathesis as a new synthetic tool was reviewed in early 1999 [184], there existed only a single report disclosed by Fiirstner s laboratory [185] on the RCAM-based conversion of functionalized diynes to triple-bonded 12- to 28-membered macrocycles with the concomitant expulsion of 2-butyne (cf Fig. 3a). These reactions were catalyzed by Schrock s tungsten-carbyne complex G. Since then, Furstner and coworkers have achieved a series of natural product syntheses, which seem to establish RCAM followed by partial reduction to (Z)- or (E)-cycloalkenes as a useful macrocyclization alternative to RCM. As work up to early 2000, including the development of alternative alkyne metathesis catalysts, is competently covered in Fiirstner s excellent review [2a], we will concentrate here only on the most recent natural product syntheses, which were all achieved by Fiirstner s team. 

Thus far, chemists have been able to influence the stereoselectivity of macro-cyclic RCM through steric and electronic substrate features or by the choice of a catalyst with appropriate activity, but there still exists a lack of prediction over the stereochemistry of macrocyclic RCM. One of the most important extensions of the original metathesis reaction for the synthesis of stereochemi-cally defined (cyclo)alkenes is alkyne metathesis, followed by selective partial hydrogenation. 

With a-monosubstituted ylides the oxidation results in the formation of alkenes (by subsequent Wittig reaction on the intermediate aldehyde). A recent example of such synthesis is found in the preparation of all-(Z)-cyclododecate-traene by oxidation of the appropriate bis-ylide [33]. It must be pointed out that an approach of the same macrocycle based on ring closing metathesis was found ineffective. 

Based on information accrued during the stereochemical elucidation, macrolactone 85 was identified as a viable synthetic intermediate (Scheme 12). The authors were cognizant of the potential challenges that could arise. First, the required formation of a trisubstituted alkene in a projected Horner-Emmons macrocyclization was without strong precedent. Also, this strategy would necessitate a stereoselective reduction of the Cl5 ketone, which was predicted to be feasible based on MM2 calculations. 

Over the last decade, the chemistry of the carbon-carbon triple bond has experienced a vigorous resurgence [1]. Whereas construction of alkyne-con-taining systems had previously been a laborious process, the advent of new synthetic methodology based on organotransition metal complexes has revolutionized the field [2]. Specifically, palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions between alkyne sp-carbon atoms and sp -carbon atoms of arenes and alkenes have allowed for rapid assembly of relatively complex structures [3]. In particular, the preparation of alkyne-rich macrocycles, the subject of this report, has benefited enormously from these recent advances. For the purpose of this review, we Emit the discussion to cychc systems which contain benzene and acetylene moieties only, henceforth referred to as phenylacetylene and phenyldiacetylene macrocycles (PAMs and PDMs, respectively). Not only have a wide... 

To mimic the square-pyramidal coordination of iron bleomycin, a series of iron (Il)complexes with pyridine-containing macrocycles 4 was synthesized and used for the epoxidation of alkenes with H2O2 (Scheme 4) [35]. These macrocycles bear an aminopropyl pendant arm and in presence of poorly coordinating acids like triflic acid a reversible dissociation of the arm is possible and the catalytic active species is formed. These complexes perform well in alkene epoxidations (66-89% yield with 90-98% selectivity in 5 min at room temperature). Furthermore, recyclable terpyridines 5 lead to highly active Fe -complexes, which show good to excellent results (up to 96% yield) for the epoxidation with oxone at room temperature (Scheme 4) [36]. 

A dinuclear iron(ll/Ill) complex bearing a hexadentate phenol ligand displayed moderate activity toward aziridination of alkenes with PhlNTs a large excess of alkene (2,000 equiv. vs PhlNTs) was required for good product yields (Scheme 22) [76]. It is noteworthy that complex 4 is active in the aziridination of aliphatic alkenes, affording higher product yields than copper (11) catalysts with tetradentate macrocyclic ligands [77]. 

Dioxygen is a cheap and ideal source of oxygen but it is very difficult to activate and there are relatively few examples of 02 oxidations catalyzed by zeolite-encapsulated complexes. Encapsulated CoPc is active for the oxidation of propene to aldehyde, whereas the free complex is inactive.104 A triple catalytic system, Pd(OAc)2, benzoquinone, and a metal macrocycle, was used to oxidize alkenes with molecular oxygen at room temperature.105 Zeolite-encapsulated FePc106-108 and CoSalophen (Scheme 7.5)107109 complexes were used as oxygen-activating catalysts. With the use of a Ru complex instead of Pd(OAc)2 in the triple catalytic system, primary alcohols can be oxidized selectively to aldehydes.110... 

Finally, it is important to mention that there are other related publications in which porphyrin macrocycles are not directly used as dipolarophiles but are transformed into new derivatives that can react with carbonyl ylides via ACE (alkene cyclobutene epoxide) reactions. This idea arose in 1997, when Russell and co-workers found that fused ester-activated cyclobutene epoxides 86 can be ring-opened to give carbonyl ylides 87, and that these can be trapped stereospecifically by ring-strained alicyclic dipolarophiles, such as 2,5-norbomadiene, to form hetero-bridged norbomanes 88 in good yields, through ACE transformations (Scheme 31) <97CC1023>. 

Singlet oxygen reacts with electron rich or highly strained alkenes to form 1,2-dioxetanes. These four-membered ring peroxides decompose on warming to two carbonyl compounds (or moieties), usually with appearance of light emission (chemiluminescence). The macrocyclic bis-lactone in (6.17)608>, a musk fragrance, has been synthesized via such a sequence. 

Macrocycles containing isoxazoline or isoxazole ring systems, potential receptors in host—guest chemistry, have been prepared by multiple (double, triple or quadruple) 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of nitrile oxides, (prepared in situ from hydroxamoyl chlorides) to bifunctional calixarenes, ethylene glycols, or silanes containing unsaturated ester or alkene moieties (453). This one-pot synthetic method has been readily extended to the preparation of different types of macrocycles such as cyclophanes, bis-calix[4]arenes and sila-macrocycles. The ring size of macrocycles can be controlled by appropriate choices of the nitrile oxide precursors and the bifunctional dipolarophiles. Multiple cycloadditive macrocy-clization is a potentially useful method for the synthesis of macrocycles. 

Recent studies by Grubbs on the effect of stereochemistry on synthesis of macrocyclic peptides (disubstituted alkenes) by ring closing metathesis were not disclosed at the time of our planning. See (a) Ref. 6a. (b) Miller SJ, Blackwell H, Grubbs RH (1996) J Am Chem Soc 118 9606... 

As recently demonstrated by Furstner and Langemann, higher yields of the disubstituted olefin 83 can be obtained under high dilution conditions using la as the catalyst. Our experiments clearly illustrate that synthesis of trisubstituted macrocyclic alkenes is more complicated than that of their disubstituted analogues. See Furstner A, Langemann K (1996) J Org Chem 61 3942... 

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