Aluminum chloride epoxide reduction

Reduction of oxetanes. Oxetanes, like epoxides (1, 598), are reduced by lithium aluminum hydride -aluminum chloride (ratio 3 1) in refluxing ether. Thus oxctanc (1) is... 

The reaction of the methyl ester of the racemic epoxide 101 with acetone and aluminum chloride gave a 4,S-0-isopropylidene derivative 108. Michael addition of ammonia to the conjugated double bond of 108 with concomitant ammonolysis of the ester group afforded a mixture of 3-amino-2,3,6-trideoxy-4,5-0-isopro-pylidene-OL-arabino- and -r/Z o-hexonamides (109). For the purpose of isolation the mixture was N-acetylated. Acidic hydrolysis of the amide groupings gave a mixture of y- and 8-aminolactone hydrochlorides (110 and 111). Careful N-acetylation and reduction of the lactone carbonyl groups in 112 and 113 afforded N-acetyl-DL-acosamine (115) in 36% yield. The stereoisomeric potential partner of 115, N-acetyl-DL-ristosamine (116), was not isolated in this procedure. 

The azidohydrins obtained by azide ion opening of epoxides, except for those possessing a tertiary hydroxy group, can be readily converted to azido mesylates on treatment with pyridine/methanesulfonyl chloride. Reduction and subsequent aziridine formation results upon reaction with hydrazine/ Raney nickel, lithium aluminum hydride, or sodium borohydride/cobalt(II)... 

Solutions of low-valence titanium chloride (titanium dichloride) are prepared in situ by reduction of solutions of titanium trichloride in tetrahydrofuran or 1,2-dimethoxyethane with lithium aluminum hydride [204, 205], with lithium or potassium [206], with magnesium [207, 208] or with a zinc-copper couple [209,210]. Such solutions effect hydrogenolysis of halogens [208], deoxygenation of epoxides [204] and reduction of aldehydes and ketones to alkenes [205,... 

The presence of the epoxide moiety at C-3 and C-4 in excelsine explained the interesting chemical reactions observed earlier. On treatment with acetic anhydride and p-toluenesulfonic acid, excelsine yielded a triacetate derivative, while treatment with acetyl chloride afforded a tetraacetate derivative. On reduction with Raney nickel in methanolic base, excelsine yielded lapaconidine (92), but was inert toward other reducing agents, e.g., lithium aluminum hydride, sodium borohydride, and Adams catalyst. Treatment of excelsine with boiling aqueous hydrochloric acid yielded an epimeric mixture of chlorohydrins with molecular formula C22H34NO6CI. These epimers were hydrolyzed to the crystalline compound C22H33NO6 when treated with aqueous sulfuric acid. This compound formed a tetraacetate derivative for which structure 105 was proposed on the basis of spectral data. 

When the epoxide (presumably the a-form, XXXIV) is reduced with lithium aluminum hydride in ether-benzene and the reaction product reacetylated with acetic anhydride-pyridine, there is formed an 0,0 -diacetyl-W-ethylhydroxydihydroveratramine (XL), which readily loses water in contact with thionyl chloride-pyridine to generate an 0,0 -diacetyl-iV-ethylveratramine (XLI). During this reduction there is also formed a product which on reacetylation proved to be 0,0 -diacetyl-iV-ethyldihydroxydihydroveratramine (XLII). Its structure is uncertain but it appears to be formed by hydrolytic rather than reductive cleavage of the epoxide ring (42). 

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