Benzylic ethers reduction

Partial Cleavage of Benzylidene Acetals to Give Benzyl Ethers Reductive Methods... 

The o-nitrobenzyl and p-nitrobenzyl ethers can b prepared and cleaved by many of the methods described for benzyl ethers. The p-nitrobenzyl ether is also prepared from an alcohol and p-nitrobenzyl alcohol (trifluoroacetic anhydride, 2,6-lutidine, CH2CI2, 67% yield). In addition, the o-nitrobenzyl ether can be cleaved by irradiation (320 nm, 10 min, quant, yield of carbohydrate " 280 nm, 95% yield of nucleotide ). The p-nitrobenzyl ether has been cleaved by electrolytic reduction (—1.1 V, DMF, R4N X, 60% yield) and by reduction with Na2S204 (pH 8-9, 80-95% yield). These ethers can also be cleaved oxidatively (DDQ or electrolysis) after reduction to the aniline derivative. ... 

This was confirmed by an independent analytical method by Spath and Boschan, and by a synthesis of pellotine by Spath and Becke, starting from the benzyl ether of 2-hydroxy-3 4-dimethoxyacetophenone, which was converted by aminoacetal into the Schiff s base (V). This, on treatment with sulphuric acid (73 per cent.), followed by warm water, gave 8-hydroxy-6 7-dimethoxy-l-methyh 5oquinoline (VI), of which the methiodide, m.p. 188-189-5°, on reduction furnishes pellotine (IV). From dZ-pellotine so formed Spath and Kesztler, by a special process of fractionation, isolated 1-pellotine having — 15-2° (CHCI3), for which... 

A 17-steroidal ketone was deprotonated by LDA to protect it from reduction during a lithium naphthalenide cleavage of a benzyl ether. ... 

Treatment of this with elemental iodine affords the nuclearly substituted iodo derivative (87). Removal of the benzyl ether by reduction leads to iodothiouracil (88). ... 

Platinum may be more useful than palladium in reduction of nitro compounds containing functions easily reduced by palladium. Hydrogenation of I over 5% Pd-on-C was nonselective with hydrogenolysis of the benzyl ethers competing with nitro hydrog ation, but over PtO in ethanol 2 was obtained in 96% yield (4). 

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). 

Scheme 1). Introduction of a jt bond into the molecular structure of 1 furnishes homoallylic amine 2 and satisfies the structural prerequisite for an aza-Prins transform.4 Thus, disconnection of the bond between C-2 and C-3 affords intermediate 3 as a viable precursor. In the forward sense, a cation ji-type cyclization, or aza-Prins reaction, could achieve the formation of the C2-C3 bond and complete the assembly of the complex pentacyclic skeleton of the target molecule (1). Reduction of the residual n bond in 2, hydro-genolysis of the benzyl ether, and adjustment of the oxidation state at the side-chain terminus would then complete the synthesis of 1. 

The synthesis of the trisubstituted cyclohexane sector 160 commences with the preparation of optically active (/ )-2-cyclohexen-l-ol (199) (see Scheme 49). To accomplish this objective, the decision was made to utilize the powerful catalytic asymmetric reduction process developed by Corey and his colleagues at Harvard.83 Treatment of 2-bromocyclohexenone (196) with BH3 SMe2 in the presence of 5 mol % of oxazaborolidine 197 provides enantiomeri-cally enriched allylic alcohol 198 (99% yield, 96% ee). Reductive cleavage of the C-Br bond in 198 with lithium metal in terf-butyl alcohol and THF then provides optically active (/ )-2-cyclo-hexen-l-ol (199). When the latter substance is treated with wCPBA, a hydroxyl-directed Henbest epoxidation84 takes place to give an epoxy alcohol which can subsequently be protected in the form of a benzyl ether (see 175) under standard conditions. 

The asymmetric reduction of the benzoxathiin is very appealing because of its simplicity (Scheme 5.3). It was envisioned that intermediate 16 could be prepared from thiol-phenol 7 and bro moke tone 17. Scheme 5.8 summarized the synthesis for 16. The l,3-benzoxathiol-2-one 35 was prepared from 1,4-benzoquinone and thiourea following a literature procedure with minor modifications. Benzylation of 35 with benzyl bromide in the presence of KI gave benzyl ether 36 as a crystalline solid. It was observed that the benzylation gave better results when the reaction was run under anaerobic conditions. Hydrolysis of thiocarbonate 36 gave free thiophenol 7 which was used directly in the next reaction. 

The last reaction perhaps involves an intermediate such as 33a which expells a proton and dimethyl sulfide. Formation of the Schiff s base with t-butylamine, reduction with sodium borohydride and hydrogenolysis of the benzyl ether produces sulfonterol (28). Despite the fact that the methylene hydrogen of sulfonterol must be much less acidic than of the corresponding urea proton on carbuterol or the sulfonamide proton on soterenol, good bioactivity is retained. 

Treatment of the 0,0-dibenzyl derivative of norneoenactin with 10% Pd/C in MeOH under hydrogen atmosphere resulted in the rapid deprotection (within 1 h) of the starting material. However, reduction of the benzyl ether functionality, without the concomitant hydrogenolysis of the N-O bond, required fine tuning of the conditions. When the hydrogenolysis was carried out using 20-25 mol % of 10% Pd/C at 20 or 30 mM concentrations for 22-31 hours, a... 

Ethyl Benzyl Ether [Brpnsted Acid Promoted Reduction of an Aldehyde to an Unsymmetrical Ether].327 To a cooled mixture of benzaldehyde (4.3 g, 41 mmol) and absolute ethanol (3.7 g, 80 mmol) was added trichloroacetic acid (18.2 g, 111 mmol). Et3SiH (6.96 g, 60 mmol) was then added dropwise with stirring while the mixture was maintained at 50-60°. After 4 hours, the reaction mixture was diluted with water, neutralized with aqueous NaHC03 solution, and extracted with Et20. The dried ether extract was distilled and the 170-190° fraction was collected. Distillation from sodium gave ethyl benzyl ether 4.8 g (90%) bp 187-189°. 

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