Alkyls from benzyl ethers

While DDQ was found to be an acceptable oxidant for the alkylation of benzyl ethers, Li and co-workers attempted to use oxygen as an oxidant. However, since oxygen gas itself is not sufficiently strong to generate the oxonium ion from benzyl ethers, an alternative approach was deemed necessary. Indeed, this problem was already solved by Ishii and co-workers who previously demonstrated that isochro-man can be oxidized to its corresponding ester using /V-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) as the catalyst and oxygen gas as the terminal oxidant (Scheme 25) [41]. 

Secondary and tertiary alkyl halides are not suitable because they react with alkox ide bases by E2 elimination rather than by 8 2 substitution Whether the alkoxide base IS primary secondary or tertiary is much less important than the nature of the alkyl halide Thus benzyl isopropyl ether is prepared m high yield from benzyl chloride a pri mary chloride that is incapable of undergoing elimination and sodium isopropoxide... 

Historically, simple Vz-alkyl ethers formed from a phenol and a halide or sulfate were cleaved under rather drastic conditions (e.g., refluxing HBr). New ether protective groups have been developed that are removed under much milder conditions (e.g., via nucleophilic displacement, hydrogenolysis of benzyl ethers, and mild acid hydrolysis of acetal-type ethers) that seldom affect other functional groups in a molecule. 

From intermediate 28, the construction of aldehyde 8 only requires a few straightforward steps. Thus, alkylation of the newly introduced C-3 secondary hydroxyl with methyl iodide, followed by hydrogenolysis of the C-5 benzyl ether, furnishes primary alcohol ( )-29. With a free primary hydroxyl group, compound ( )-29 provides a convenient opportunity for optical resolution at this stage. Indeed, separation of the equimolar mixture of diastereo-meric urethanes (carbamates) resulting from the action of (S)-(-)-a-methylbenzylisocyanate on ( )-29, followed by lithium aluminum hydride reduction of the separated urethanes, provides both enantiomers of 29 in optically active form. Oxidation of the levorotatory alcohol (-)-29 with PCC furnishes enantiomerically pure aldehyde 8 (88 % yield). 

The availability of non-racemic oxepins through tandem catalytic RCM and Zr-catalyzed kinetic resolution has additional important implications. Optically pure heterocycles that carry a heteroatom within their side chain (cf. (S)-14 in Scheme 3) can be used in stereoselective uncatalyzed alkylations. The alcohol, benzyl ether or MEM-ethers derived from (S)-14 readily undergo directed [10] and diastereoselective alkylations when treated with a variety of Grignard reagents [11]. 

The Delft synthesis makes use of an acid-catalyzed ring closure - in fact an intramolecular aromatic alkylation - of a l-(3,5-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzyl) isoquinoline derivative that is prepared starting from (natural) gallic acid. One of the hydroxyl groups is removed via a Pd/ C hydrogenation of the benzyl ether. Other catalytic steps play an important role some steps were improved recently [27]. The crucial step in the Rice synthesis makes use of a l-(2-bromo-5-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzyl)isoquinoline derivative that is also cyclized in an acid-catalyzed ring closure to the morphinan skeleton, followed by catalytic removal of the bromo substituent (Scheme 5.8). 

Addition of alane and borane to alkenes affords a host of alkylated alanes and boranes with various reducing properties (and sometimes bizarre names) diisobutylalane (Dibal-H ) [104], 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (9-BBN) (prepared from borane and 1,5-cyclooctadiene) [705], mono- [106,107] and diiso-pinocampheylborane (B-di-3-pinanylborane) (both prepared from borane and optically active a-pinene) [108], isopinocampheyl-9-borabicyclo[3.3.1 Jnonane alias B-3-pinanyl-9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (3-pinanyl-9-BBN) (prepared from 9-borabicyclo [3.3.1]nonane and a-pinene) [709], NB-Enanthrane prepared from 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane and nopol benzyl ether) [770] and others. ... 

In the presence of [BMIM]Br, aryl oxiranes are cleaved by a variety of amines, giving exclusively a regioselective product from benzylic attack. Other epoxides (including glycidyl aryl ethers, glycidyl alkyl ethers, and esters), alkyl oxiranes, and cycloalkyl epoxides are also converted. Remarkably, all the reactions were found to proceed efficiently at ambient temperature with high regioselectivity. The product yields reached 80-90% in a few hours. 

In the complexes of w/Ao-substituted benzyl ethers, the benzylic hydrogen atoms are diastereotopic. Alkylation of the derived lithium compounds occurs completely stereoselective-ly anti to the tricarbonylchromium face from a rotamer in which the benzylic methoxy group is anti to the or/Ao-substituent2,3. The stereochemistry of the alkylation was confirmed unambiguously by X-ray analysis of the product3. 

Because of the special structural requirements of the resin-bound substrate, this type of cleavage reaction lacks general applicability. Some of the few examples that have been reported are listed in Table 3.19. Lactones have also been obtained by acid-catalyzed lactonization of resin-bound 4-hydroxy or 3-oxiranyl carboxylic acids [399]. Treatment of polystyrene-bound cyclic acetals with Jones reagent also leads to the release of lactones into solution (Entry 5, Table 3.19). Resin-bound benzylic aryl or alkyl carbonates have been converted into esters by treatment with acyl halides and Lewis acids (Entry 6, Table 3.19). Similarly, alcohols bound to insoluble supports as benzyl ethers can be cleaved from the support and simultaneously converted into esters by treatment with acyl halides [400]. Esters have also been prepared by treatment of carboxylic acids with an excess of polystyrene-bound triazenes here, diazo-nium salts are released into solution, which serve to O-alkylate the acid (Entry 7, Table 3.19). This strategy can also be used to prepare sulfonates [401]. 

Benzhydrylamines are better suited than benzylamines as acid-labile linkers for amines. The MBHA linker ( methylbenzhydrylamine ), which is usually used to prepare peptide amides (see Section 3.3), can also be used as a linker for amines (Entry 1, Table 3.21). Hydrogen fluoride is, however, required as the cleavage reagent. Easier to cleave are alkoxy-substituted benzhydrylamines (Entries 2-5, Table 3.21), which can be prepared from the corresponding benzhydryl chlorides [263] or by reductive alkylation [410] or solvolysis [411] of the Rink amide linker. In the case of benzhydrylamines linked to polystyrene as benzyl ethers, treatment with TFA can lead to the release of the linker into solution (acidolysis of the benzylic C-O bond, see Figure 3.18). 

Cleavage conditions for alkyl benzyl ethers prepared from acid-labile benzyl alcohols are similar to those for the corresponding benzyl esters (Table 3.30). Aryl benzyl ethers, however, are generally cleaved more easily by acidolysis than esters or alkyl ethers. Phenols etherified with hydroxymethyl polystyrene, for instance, can even be released by treatment with TFA (Entry 1, Table 3.31). It has also been shown that Wang resin derived phenyl ethers are less stable than Wang resin derived esters towards refluxing acetic acid [29]. Alternatively, boron tribromide may be used to cleave aryl ethers from hydroxymethyl polystyrene [573],... 

The Wittig rearrangement is the base-catalyzed 1.2-shift of an alkyl, allyl. benzyl, or phenyl group of an ether from oxygen to carbon. A patent claim describes the conversion of aryl arylmethyl ethers such as 21 into diarylmethanols such as 22.14... 

Methyl ethers have been employed, but alkyl glycosides may be unstable following hydrogen abstraction from the anomeric center (see Section 11,9). Benzyl ethers and benzylidene (and other aldehyde-based) acetals, which themselves undergo ready radical bromination,27 can be expected to be entirely unsuitable protecting groups. Ketone-derived acetals, on the other hand, should be stable, at least in the absence of acid, and a few examples of successful brominations in their presence are reported in Section 11,4. 

The lithiated benzylic ether prepared from 79 is a carbon nucleophile. Under boron trifluoride catalysis10 it attacks diepoxide 6. In the process, the alkyl lithium reagent adds in a stepwise fashion to diepoxide 6, whereby the first addition is significantly more rapid than the second.7 One thus obtains only the monoadduct 24... 

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