Allylic alcohols prostaglandin synthesis

The optically active propargylic and allylic alcohols thus obtained are important synthetic intermediates in the enantioselective synthesis of insect pheromones, prostaglandins, prostacyclins, and many other bioactive compounds (Scheme 6-26).53... 

P.W. Collins, R.L. Shone, A.F. Gasieski, W.E. Perkins, R.G. Blanch , Stabilization of a prostaglandin tertiary allylic alcohol system by fluorine Synthesis, acid stability studies and pharmacology of a 16-fluoromethyl analog of SC-46275, Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2 (1992) 1761-1766. 

Epimeric 15-benzoates 9 and 10, derived from the intermediates in prostaglandin synthesis, follow the above mentioned relation of the Cotton effect to the allylic alcohol configuration150. 

Application of the Pd-catalyzed alkylation of hydrogencarbonate to the meso-biscarbonate 29 gave the allylic alcohol 30 in 87% yield with 96% ee (Scheme 2.1.4.31). Alcohol 30 has been converted via the silyl ether 31 and alcohol 32 to ketone 33, the enantiomer of which is an important building block for the synthesis of prostaglandins [40]. Since both BPA and mt-BPA are readily available, access to ent-33 is also provided. 

This enantioselective preparation of allylic alcohols has been applied to the synthesis of the side chain of prostaglandins . The addition to functionalized aldehydes, such as 483, allows the synthesis of C2-symmetrical 1,4-diols, such as 484, with excellent diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity . An extension of this method allows the synthesis of C3-symmetrical dioF . Aldol-type products result from the catalytic enantioselective addition of functionalized dialkylzincs to 3-TIPSO-substituted aldehydes, such as 485, followed by a protection-deprotection and oxidation sequence affording 486 in 70% yield and 91% ee (Scheme 118) . The addition to a-alkoxyaldehydes provides a... 

This method is particularly effective with cyclic substrates, and the combined effects of intramolecular and intermolecular asymmetric induction give up to 76 1 (kf/ks) differentiation between enantiomers of a cyclic allylic alcohol. This kinetic resolution provides a practical method to resolve 4-hydroxy-2-cyclopentenone, a readily available but sensitive compound. Hydrogenation of the racemic compound at 4 atm H2 proceeds with kf/ks =11, and, at 68% conversion, gives the slow-reacting R enantiomer in 98% ee. The alcoholic product is readily convertible to its crystalline, enantiomerically pure fert-butyldimethylsilyl ether, an important building block in the three-component coupling synthesis of prostaglandins (67). 

Scheme 21). Scheme 22 illustrates an example of kinetic resolution of a racemic allylic alcohol with a 1,3-hydrogen shift. When racemic 4-hydroxy-2-cyclopentenone is exposed to a cationic (/ )-BINAP-Rh complex in THF, the S enantiomer is consumed five times faster than the R isomer (32). The slow-reacting stereoisomer purified as the crystalline ferf-butyldimethylsilyl ether is an intermediate in prostaglandin synthesis (33). These isomerizations may occur via initial Rh-olefinic bond interaction (34). 

The isomerization of cyclic allyl alcohols to produce ketones proceeds more cleanly [17]. Effective kinetic resolution of racemic cyclic allylic alcohols has been reported [18]. The isomerization of racemic 4-hydroxy-2-cyclopentanone (29) in the presence of 0.5 mol % of [Rh[(/ )-BlNAP](MeOH)2 + in THF proceeded with 5 1 enantiomeric discrimination at 0°C to give 1,3-cyclopentadione (31) via enol ketone 30, leaving the /(-starting allylic alcohol (91% ee and 27% recovery yield) at 72% conversion after 14 days (eq 3.12). (R)-4-Hydroxy-2-cy-clopentenone is a key building block for prostaglandin synthesis [19]. 

One of the amenities of present-day organic synthesis is the availability of intermediates from the many chemical supply companies. More than 100 allylic alcohols (excluding extensive listings of phorbol esters and prostaglandin structures) are offered for sale from these sources. Two concerns about such supplies should be noted. The first is the EZZ composition of acyclic allylic alcohols, which should be checked when it is not specified, and second is the optical purity of allylic alcohols offered in optically active form, which likewise should be checked. 

Iron carbonyls have been used in stoichiometric and catalytic amounts for a variety of transformations in organic synthesis. For example, the isomerization of 1,4-dienes to 1,3-dienes by formation of tricarbonyl(ri4-l,3-diene)iron complexes and subsequent oxidative demetallation has been applied to the synthesis of 12-prostaglandin PGC2 [10], The photochemically induced double bond isomerization of allyl alcohols to aldehydes [11] and allylamines to enamines [12,13] can be carried out with catalytic amounts of iron carbonyls (see Section 1.4.3). 

Enantioselective isomerization can be advantageously used for the kinetic resolution of racemic allyl alcohols. For example treatment of 4-hydroxy-2-cyclopente-none (rac-28) in the presence of Rh[(R)-BINAP](MeOH)2 + gives rise to the enan-tiomerically enriched allyl alcohol (R)-29 (Scheme9) [13]. This unsaturated hydroxy ketone is an important building block for the synthesis of prostaglandins... 

Allylic alcohols from sulfones.1 Polish chemists have extended the Julia synthesis of alkenes (11, 474) to a synthesis of allylic alcohols. In the presence of 1 equiv. of BF3 etherate, a-alkoxy aldehydes react with lithiafed sulfones to form adducts that are converted to allylic alcohols on reduction with sodium amalgam. This reaction was developed specifically for a synthesis of prostaglandins from Corey s lactone-aldehyde, but should have wider application. 

Conjugate addition of the complete allylic alcohol fragment is possible with the mixed cuprate reagents 33 prepared by asymmetric reduction (chapter 26) of acetylenic ketones 29 to give the alcohols 30, protection as a silyl ether 31 and hydroboration-iodination. Lithiation and reaction with hexynyl copper (I) gives the mixed cuprate 33 from which the less stable anion is transferred selectively to an enone.3 This approach has been widely used in the synthesis of prostaglandins. 

Furthermore, this regio- and stereoselective bond formation between unsaturated carbon atoms was applied to the synthesis of functionalized dienes under extremely mild conditions. Thus, even vinylic boronic esters containing an allylic acetal moiety and alkenylboronate having a chiral protected allylic alcohol were successfully accomplished with vinylic iodides under aqueous conditions in 60-90% yield [30]. In addition, an exceptionally simple and efficient synthesis of a prostaglandin (PGEj) precursor was reported by Johnson, applying a DMF/THF/ water solvent mixture with a bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene palladium catalyst [31]. It is curious that the presence of water is an absolute necessity in order to succeed in this approach (Scheme 3). 

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