Allyl acid-catalyzed synthesis

Synthesis of (A) started with the combination of 2,4,6-trimethylphenol and allyl bromide to give the or/Ao-allyl dienone. Acid-catalyzed rearrangement and oxidative bydroboration yielded the dienone with a propanol group in porlactone ring were irons in the product as expected (see p. 275). Treatment with aqueous potassium hydroxide gave the epoxy acid, which formed a crystalline salt with (R)-l-(or-naphthyl)ethylamine. This was recrystallized to constant rotation. 

J ULIA-BRUYLANTS Cyclopropyl Carbinol Rearrangement Synthesis ot allyl halides (usually E] by rearrangement ol cyciopropyl carbirKils acid catalyzed)... 

Unlike the acid-catalyzed ether cleavage reaction discussed in the previous section, which is general to all ethers, the Claisen rearrangement is specific to allyl aryl ethers, Ar—O—CH2CH = CH2. Treatment of a phenoxide ion with 3-bromopropene (allyl bromide) results in a Williamson ether synthesis and formation of an allyl aryl ether. Heating the allyl aryl ether to 200 to 250 °C then effects Claisen rearrangement, leading to an o-allylphenol. The net result is alkylation of the phenol in an ortho position. 

The first total synthesis of the marine dolabellane diterpene (+)-4,5-deoxy-neodolabelline (70) was accomplished by D. R. Williams et al. [58]. The trans-disubstituted dihydropyran moiety in key intermediate 69 was efficiently prepared from mixed acetal 66 by RCM with second-generation catalyst C and subsequent Lewis acid-catalyzed allylation of ethyl glycosides 67 with allylsi-lane 68 (Scheme 12) [59]. 

There are, however, serious problems that must be overcome in the application of this reaction to synthesis. The product is a new carbocation that can react further. Repetitive addition to alkene molecules leads to polymerization. Indeed, this is the mechanism of acid-catalyzed polymerization of alkenes. There is also the possibility of rearrangement. A key requirement for adapting the reaction of carbocations with alkenes to the synthesis of small molecules is control of the reactivity of the newly formed carbocation intermediate. Synthetically useful carbocation-alkene reactions require a suitable termination step. We have already encountered one successful strategy in the reaction of alkenyl and allylic silanes and stannanes with electrophilic carbon (see Chapter 9). In those reactions, the silyl or stannyl substituent is eliminated and a stable alkene is formed. The increased reactivity of the silyl- and stannyl-substituted alkenes is also favorable to the synthetic utility of carbocation-alkene reactions because the reactants are more nucleophilic than the product alkenes. 

With the A-ring unit readily available, we directed our attention to the formation of the B-ring. At first, we duplicated the five step scheme reported in Sih s strigol synthesis involving 1) esterification of the acid 14, 2) allylic bromination with N-bromo 8 ucc i n imi d e (NBS) to 15, 3) condensation with the sodium salt of dimethyl malonate to 16, 4) alkylation with methyl bromoacetate to 17, and 5) acid catalyzed hydrolysis and decarboxylation to the acid 18. 

Carbon monoxide rapidly inserts into the carbon—zirconium bond of alkyl- and alkenyl-zirconocene chlorides at low temperature with retention of configuration at carbon to give acylzirconocene chlorides 17 (Scheme 3.5). Acylzirconocene chlorides have found utility in synthesis, as described elsewhere in this volume [17]. Lewis acid catalyzed additions to enones, aldehydes, and imines, yielding a-keto allylic alcohols, a-hydroxy ketones, and a-amino ketones, respectively [18], and palladium-catalyzed addition to alkyl/aryl halides and a,[5-ynones [19] are examples. The acyl complex 18 formed by the insertion of carbon monoxide into dialkyl, alkylaryl, or diaryl zirconocenes may rearrange to a r 2-ketone complex 19 either thermally (particularly when R1 = R2 = Ph) or on addition of a Lewis acid [5,20,21]. The rearrangement proceeds through the less stable... 

A formal asymmetric nucleophilic addition to carbonyl compounds is achieved by Trost and his co-workers in the allylic alkylation of acylals of alkenals. An excellent enantioselectivity is observed in this alkylation. The starting acylals are easily prepared by the Lewis-acid catalyzed addition of acid anhydrides to aldehydes, by use of Trost s ligand 118 (Scheme 13), where various carbon-centered nucleophiles are available (Scheme l4),101,101a-10lc Asymmetric synthesis of some natural products is achieved according to this procedure. 

Much effort has been devoted to the synthesis of derivatives of chroman-6-ols as model compounds for studies of the chemistry of the tocopherols. Many routes concentrate on the acid-catalyzed alkylation of substituted benzene-1,4-diols by allyl alcohols or dienes. Trimethylhydroquinone and isoprene react in acetic acid in the presence of zinc chloride to give 2,2,5,7,8-pentamethylchroman-6-ol (39JOC311) isomer formation is not possible here and so the route is particularly attractive. 

Majetich reports a general intramolecular Lewis acid allylation protocol for the synthesis of bicy-clo[5.4.0]undecen-3-ones (168) and bicyclo[4.4.0]decen-3-ones (170), which are 1,6-addition products (Scheme 27). The same precursors, (167) and (169), when submitted to the fluoride ion cyclization protocol, also afford 1,2- and 1,4-addition products.73 Typically, ethylaluminum dichloride, a proton sponge Lewis acid, is used in order to minimize adventitious protonic desilylation. Other 0,y-unsatu-rated silanes also undergo similar intramolecular Lewis acid catalyzed additions for example, the si-lylpropargylic enones (171) undergo intramolecular cyclization to the allenylspiro system (172).74... 

The allyl cation generated by the electrocyclic cleavage of dibromocyclopropanes (cf. Section 4.7.3.7.1) has been trapped by a carboxyl group in a highly efficient synthesis of furanones (equation 111) and pyranones.236 Acid-catalyzed openings of dihalocyclopropanes also give similar results.237... 

A general methodology for the construction of quaternary carbon atoms at the carbonyl carbon of ketones has been successfully exploited for the facile synthesis of ( )-lycoramine (299) (Scheme 30) (165). Thus, the O-allylated o-vanillin 322 was allowed to react with vinyl magnesium bromide followed by Jones oxidation, and the acid-catalyzed addition of benzyl IV-methylcarbamate to the intermediate a,(3-unsaturated ketone furnished 323. Wadsworth-Emmons olefination of 323 with the anion derived from diethyl[(benzylideneami-no)methyl]phosphonate (BAMP) provided the 2-azadiene 324. The subsequent regioselective addition of n-butyllithium to 324 delivered a metalloenamine that suffered alkylation with 2-(2-bromoethyl)-2-methyl-l,3-dioxolane to give, after acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of the imine and ketal moieties, the 8-keto aldehyde 325. Base-catalyzed cycloaldolization and dehydration of 325 then provided the 4,4-disubstituted cyclohexenone 326. The entire sequence of reactions involved in the conversion of 323 to 326 proceeded in very good overall yield and in one pot. 

The transition metal-catalyzed addition of alcohols to unsaturated systems has not been widely investigated. Reports on addition of alcohols to 1,3-diene [24] or allene [25] have appeared but have very limited scope. We recently reported the palladium/benzoic acid-catalyzed inter- and intramolecular addition of alcohols to alkynes in which various acyclic and cyclic allylic ethers are produced [26], The Pd-catalyzed addition of alcohols to alkylidenecyclopropanes proceeds smoothly providing a powerful tool for synthesis of allylic ethers [27a]. An intramolecular version of the hydroalkoxylation has been demonstrated in which the phenol-tethered alkylidenecyclopropanes undergo facile cyclization to give exomethylene products [27b],... 

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