Corey-Nicolaou reagent

A variety of specialized reagents have been developed for macrolactonization reactions. Two of the more important are the Corey-Nicolaou reagent, 2,2 -dipyridyl disulfide (232)10 jjjg Mukaiyama reagent, which is 2-chloro-l-methylpyridinium iodide (233). A number of related reagents have been developed, including imidazole disulfide 234 [2,2 -dithio-(4-ferf-butyl-l-isopropylimidazole)]l 2 and imidazole 235 [N-(trimethylsilyl)imidazole].l 3 All of these reagents are effective for the cyclization of co-hydroxy acids, as shown in Table 6.1. For comparison, available cyclization results with DEAD and 234 are included. In this table, a hydroxy acid is converted to a lactone (219). 

Inspection of Table 6.1 suggests that the Mukaiyama reagent gives better yields of lactone with simple ou-hydroxy acids than the Corey-Nicolaou reagent. Offer an explanation that accounts for this observation. 

COREY-NICOLAOU-GERLACH Macrolactonization 2-Pyridinethiol a reagent in the synthesis of large ring lactones. 

At the exotic end of the Lewis acid scale is tetrafluorosilane (mp -90 5C, bp -86 UC) first proposed by Corey and Yi as a mild and selective reagent for the cleavage of silyl-protected alcohols with the reactivity order being EtiSi > f-Bu-Me2Si f-BuPhiSi/ 1 The substrate in dichloromethane or acetonitrile, is stirred at room temperature under an atmosphere of excess tetrafluorosilane provided by a gas-filled balloon. The reaction is slow in dichloromethane but quite fast (ca. 15 min) in acetonitrile. In the final step of Yamamoto s synthesis of the Hemibrevetoxin B [Scheme 4.40]61 the secondary TIPS and TBS ethers were removed from 40.1 with tetrafluorosilane. Identical conditions were used by Nicolaou et al to remove two TBS ethers in the final step of their synthesis of Hemibrevetoxin B.62 In the example shown in Scheme 4,41, deprotection with fluoride (basic) or cerium(lV) ammonium nitrate (CAN) in methanol (neutral) isomerised the angelate to the more thermodynamically stable tiglate.63 However, with tetrafluorosilane, no isomerisation occurred during the deprotection step. 

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