Asymmetric epoxidation total synthesis

This procedure was used for the asymmetric total synthesis of the steroid (+)-equilenin (7-7) [3]. Cyclopropylidene derivates 7-4 could be converted into the cyclobutanones 7-5 in good yields by applying an asymmetric epoxidation using the chiral (salen)Mnm complex 7-6 (Scheme 7.2) [4]. It is of interest that the demethoxy-lated substrate 7-4b led to 7-5b with a very high enantiomeric excess of 93%, whereas 7-4a gave 7-5a with only 78% ee. 

Another microwave-mediated intramolecular SN2 reaction forms one of the key steps in a recent catalytic asymmetric synthesis of the cinchona alkaloid quinine by Jacobsen and coworkers [209]. The strategy to construct the crucial quinudidine core of the natural product relies on an intramolecular SN2 reaction/epoxide ringopening (Scheme 6.103). After removal of the benzyl carbamate (Cbz) protecting group with diethylaluminum chloride/thioanisole, microwave heating of the acetonitrile solution at 200 °C for 2 min provided a 68% isolated yield of the natural product as the final transformation in a 16-step total synthesis. 

Omura devised an efficient asymmetric synthesis of the 3a-hydroxyfuroindoline ring system required for the total synthesis of madindoline A (172) and B <00JA2122>. Thus, Sharpless asymmetric oxidation of tryptophol (170) led to the desired product 171 in 99% ee in a fashion consistent with the Sharpless epoxidation mnemonic <80JA5976>. 

One of the earliest and most important discoveries in metal-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis is Sharpless s Ti-catalyzed epoxidation of allylic alcohols. A mere mention of all the total syntheses that have used this technology would require a separate review article Here, we select Trost s masterful total synthesis of solamin (100, Scheme 14), for its beautiful and multiple use of Sharpless s asymmetric epoxidation.1161 Optically pure epoxy alcohol 95 is converted to both epoxy iodide 96 and diol 97 The latter two intermediates are then united to give 98, which is oxidized and converted to dihydrofuran 99 by a Ramberg-Backlund transformation. The Re catalyzed butenolide annulation that is used to afford the requisite unsaturated lactone only adds to the efficiency of this beautiful total synthesis. 

Along with catalytic asymmetric epoxidation, the related dihydroxylation of olefins is another venerable catalytic enantioselective process that is widely used by the modern organic chemist. An application of this important transformation may be found in Corey s 1994 preparation of optically pure 109 (Scheme 16), an intermediate in Corey s 1985 total synthesis of ovalicin.1181 The catalytic asymmetric dihydroxylation that affords 108 solves one of the most challenging problems in the total synthesis installment of the tertiary alcohol center with the appropriate relative and absolute stereochemistry. 

Scheme 20. Jacobsen s sequential use of catalytic asymmetric reactions, including his Cr-catalyzed kinetic resolution of epoxides in the total synthesis of taurospongin A (1998).

Scheme 21. Zr-catalyzed asymmetric olefin alkylation is used in conjunction with Pd-catalyzed addition of an arylox-ide to an epoxide and Mo-catalyzed olefin metatheses in Hoveyda s total synthesis of nebivolol (1998).

As an example of the usefulness of the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation the enantioselective synthesis of (-)-swainsonine and an early note by Nicolaou on the stereocontrolled synthesis of 1, 3, 5...(2n + 1) polyols, undertaken in connection with a programme directed towards the total synthesis of polyene macrolide antibiotics, such as amphotericin B and nystatin Aj, will be discussed. 

Last year, a short enantioselective total synthesis of herbarumin III (42) in 11% overall yield was published the approach applied uses Keck s asymmetric allylation and Sharpless epoxidation to build the key fragment. Esterification with 5-hexenoic acid and a RCM was used to yield 42. Finally, another asymmetric synthesis of herbarumin III (42) was carried out using (R)-cyclohexylidene glyceraldehyde as the chiral template. The key steps of the synthesis were the enantioselective preparation of the... 

Adger, B.M., Barkley, J V. Bergeron, S., Cappi, M.W., Elowerdew, B.E., Jackson, M. R, McCague, R., Nugent, T.C. and Roberts, S.M. Improved Procedure for Julia-Colonna Asymmetric Epoxidation of a,/l-Unsaturated Ketones Total Synthesis of Diltiazem and Taxol Side-chain. J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1 1997, 23, 3501-3507. 

The use of a cationic aza-Cope rearrangement in concert with a Mannich cyclization has also been applied to the total synthesis of enantiomerically pure (—)-crinine (359) (205). In the event, nucleophilic opening of cyclopentenoxide with the aluminum amide that was formed on reaction of (/ )-a-methylbenzyl-amine and trimethylaluminum gave the amino alcohol 485 together with its (15,25) diastereomer. Although there was essentially no asymmetric induction in this process, the diastereomeric amino alcohols were readily separated by chromatography, and the overall procedure therefore constitutes an efficient means for the preparation of enantiomerically pure 2-amino alcohols from epoxides. When the hydrochloride salt derived from 485 was treated with paraformaldehyde and potassium cyanide, the amino nitrile 486 was formed. Subsequent Swem oxida-... 

In the total synthesis of phalarine, the dihydrobenzo[Z>] furan core shown below was constructed by treatment of the substrate with TFA, followed by a CSA-catalyzed rearrangement <07AGE1448>. Asymmetric total synthesis of bisabosquals was also achieved via an epoxide-ring opening reaction <07T10018>. 

The first enantioselective total synthesis of l -(—)-cembrene A (59) and / -( )-nephthenol (40) were achieved by employing an intramolecular nucleophilic addition of sulfur-stabilized carbanion to asymmetric epoxide as the key step, starting from L-serine (Scheme 6-13). ... 

The first enantioselective total synthesis of ( )-7,8-epoxycembrene C (33) was achieved via a general approach by employing an intramolecular McMurry coupling and Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation as key steps from readily available starting material. The syntheses presented here verified the absolute stereochemistry assignment of the epoxy configuration of 33 as assumed (1R,8R) (Scheme 6-20). °... 

The first enantioselective total synthesis of (- -)-l 1,12-epoxycembrene C (28) has been accomplished via a macro-olefination strategy by employing titanium-mediated McMurry coupling as a key step and the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation for the introduction of chiral epoxide. Based on the enantioselective Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, Li et al. assumed the configuration of natural 28 to be (115,125) (Scheme 6-21). ... 

Starting from the chiral pool (/f-(+)-hmonene), the total synthesis of natural (-f)-3,4-epoxycembrene A (56) has been achieved by Liu et al. with the low-valent titanium-mediated intramolecular pinacol couphng of the corresponding sec-keto aldehyde precursor 171 (Scheme 6-25). A more general and efficient enantioselective synthesis of (+)-3,4-epoxy-cembrene A (56) with a chiral pool protocol and Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation for the introduction of three chiral centers has also been reported by the same authors in 2001 (Scheme 6-26). ... 

A study of the synthesis of chromans from allylic carbonates involving Pd-catalysed asymmetric allylic alkylation has established that the addition of acetic acid results in a pronounced increase in enantioselectivity. Furthermore, (E) allylic carbonates afford (R) chromans and the (Z) substrates the (S) heterocycle (Scheme 13) <03JA9276>. This approach to chromans has been combined with a radical epoxide cyclisation in a total synthesis of (-)-siccanin <03AG(E)3943>. 

The Katsuki-Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation of ( )-allylic alcohols is the key-step in the total synthesis of all tetroses and hexoses developed by Sharpless and Masamune [259,260] and that are summarized in O Scheme 57 for the L-series. The epoxide obtained by oxidation of... 

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