Chiral glycol ethers synthesis

Among the 1,4-di-O-substituted-L-threitol derivatives (Figure 14a) the one that has found most use in chiral crown ether synthesis is the 1,4-dibenzyl ether. Not only has it provided (88, 106, 107) a ready entry into the chiral tetrasub-stituted 18-crown-6 derivatives ll-31 to ll-34, but it has also proved to be a usehil chiral precursor for the preparation of chiral disubstituted 9-crown-3 (107), 12-crown-4 (108), 15-crown-5 (108), and 18-crown-6 (109) derivatives l-57, l-58, l-59, and l-60, respectively. In the preparation of l-S8 the base-promoted cyclization with triethylene glycol ditosylate is best carried out (108) with a... 

Ponzo, V. L. Kaufman, T. S. Diastereoselective alkoxymethylation of aromatic aldehydes with chiral lithiomefhyl ethers. Synthesis of optically active monoprotected glycols. Can. J. Chem. 1998, 76,1338-1343. 

Scheme 4. Synthesis of chiral glycol ethers starting from (S)-ethyl lactate (13). DHP = dihydropyrane, THP = tetrahydro-pyranyl, Ts = tosyl, Bz = benzyl, THE = tetrahydrofuran, DMF = dimethylformamide.

The utilization of carbohydrates for the synthesis of chiral crown ethers has been further explored, giving derivatives with the general structures (12) and (13) using 4,-6-O-benzylidene derivatives of methyl a-o-galacto-, gluco-, and manno-pyranoside in a base-catalysed reaction with diethylene glycol bis-toluene-p-sulphonate. ... 

Very recently, the synthesis of a series of chiral poly(9,9 -spirobiflu-orene)crown ethers [e.g., (SS)-139, (SSSS)-140, (SSSSSS)-141, and (S55SSS5S)-142] with 26-, 52-, 78-, and 104-membered rings have been described (162). The last three are rare examples of compounds with C4, 5, and Cg synunetries, respectively. They were isolated chromatographically from a reaction mixture consisting of (S)-2,2 -bisbromomethyl-9,9 -spirobifluorene, ethylene glycol, KOr-Bu, and Csl in tolune. 

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