Cyclizations polyenes

With aluminum-chloride catalysts, the polymer structure is 80% cyclobutane units and about 5% cyclopropane units, the remainder being polyene units. With stannic chloride, we do not observe any cyclopropane units the polymer consists mainly of cyclobutane units (75%). The presence of methyl groups on cyclohexane shows that the other units possess partially isomerized and cyclized polyene structures. When using titanium chloride or ethyl aluminum chloride with traces of water as cocatalyst, the polymer consists mainly of cyclobutane units—that is, 60%, the demainder being cyclized see Equation 17. 

The feasibility of cyclizing polyenes with iminium ion initiators has received only scant attention. 72 Cyclization of imine (77) under aprotic conditions with SnCU affords predominantly rran -decalins containing endocyclic unsaturation. This mixture was deduced by H NMR analysis to contain diastereomers (78) to (81) in the indicated abundances as depicted in equation (7). The extent of asymmetric induction in forming the decalin ring system (9S,10iS 9/ ,10/ = 61 39) is significantly lower than that of related cyclizations of chiral acetal substrates. ... 

Intramolecular condensation reactions to generate six-membered carbocycles are mentioned in section 1.12, the polyene cyclization in section 1.15. 

Open-chain 1,5-polyenes (e.g. squalene) and some oxygenated derivatives are the biochemical precursors of cyclic terpenoids (e.g. steroids, carotenoids). The enzymic cyclization of squalene 2,3-oxide, which has one chiral carbon atom, to produce lanosterol introduces seven chiral centres in one totally stereoselective reaction. As a result, organic chemists have tried to ascertain, whether squalene or related olefinic systems could be induced to undergo similar stereoselective cyclizations in the absence of enzymes (W.S. Johnson, 1968, 1976). 

The achiral triene chain of (a//-rrans-)-3-demethyl-famesic ester as well as its (6-cis-)-isoiner cyclize in the presence of acids to give the decalol derivative with four chirai centres whose relative configuration is well defined (P.A. Stadler, 1957 A. Escherunoser, 1959 W.S. Johnson, 1968, 1976). A monocyclic diene is formed as an intermediate (G. Stork, 1955). With more complicated 1,5-polyenes, such as squalene, oily mixtures of various cycliz-ation products are obtained. The 18,19-glycol of squalene 2,3-oxide, however, cyclized in modest yield with picric acid catalysis to give a complex tetracyclic natural product with nine chiral centres. Picric acid acts as a protic acid of medium strength whose conjugated base is non-nucleophilic. Such acids activate oxygen functions selectively (K.B. Sharpless, 1970). 

The early Escherunoser-Stork results indicated, that stereoselective cyclizations may be achieved, if monocyclic olefins with 1,5-polyene side chains are used as substrates in acid treatment. This assumption has now been justified by many syntheses of polycyclic systems. A typical example synthesis is given with the last reaction. The cyclization of a trideca-3,7-dien-11-ynyl cyclopentenol leads in 70% yield to a 17-acetyl A-norsteroid with correct stereochemistry at all ring junctions. Ozonolysis of ring A and aldol condensation gave dl-progesterone (M.B. Gravestock, 1978 see p. 279f.). 

Other, removable cation-stabilizing auxiliaries have been investigated for polyene cyclizations. For example, a sdyl-assisted carbocation cyclization has been used in an efficient total synthesis of lanosterol. The key step, treatment of (257) with methyl aluminum chloride in methylene chloride at —78° C, followed by acylation and chromatographic separation, affords (258) in 55% yield (two steps). When this cyclization was attempted on similar compounds that did not contain the C7P-silicon substituent, no tetracycHc products were observed. Steroid (258) is converted to lanosterol (77) in three additional chemical steps (225). 

Cyclization of polyenes by intramolecular rr-attack on an oxirane is an important biochemical reaction (Section 5.05.5.2). 

Acyl radicals can be generated and they cyclize in the usual manner. A polyene-cyclization reaction generated four rings, initiating the sequence by treatment of a phenylseleno ester with Bu3SnH/AIBN to form the acyl radical, which added to the first alkene unit. The newly formed carbon radical added to the next alkene, and so on. Acyl radicals generated firom Ts(R)NCOSePh derivatives cyclize to form lactams. ... 

Polyene Cyclization. Perhaps the most synthetically useful of the carbo-cation alkylation reactions is the cyclization of polyenes having two or more double bonds positioned in such a way that successive bond-forming steps can occur. This process, called polyene cyclization, has proven to be an effective way of making polycyclic compounds containing six-membered and, in some cases, five-membered rings. The reaction proceeds through an electrophilic attack and requires that the double bonds that participate in the cyclization be properly positioned. For example, compound 1 is converted quantitatively to 2 on treatment with formic acid. The reaction is initiated by protonation and ionization of the allylic alcohol and is terminated by nucleophilic capture of the cyclized secondary carbocation. 

More extended polyenes can cyclize to tricyclic systems. 

As the intermediate formed in a polyene cyclization is a carbocation, the isolated product is often found to be a mixture of closely related compounds resulting from competing modes of reaction. The products result from capture of the carbocation by solvent or other nucleophile or by deprotonation to form an alkene. Polyene cyclizations can be carried out on reactants that have structural features that facilitate transformation of the carbocation to a stable product. Allylic silanes, for example, are stabilized by desilylation.12... 

The incorporation of silyl substituents not only provides for specific reaction products but can also improve the effectiveness of polyene cyclization. For example, although cyclization of 2a gave a mixture containing at least 17 products, the allylic silane 2b gave a 79% yield of a 1 1 mixture of stereoisomers.13 This is presumably due to the enhanced reactivity and selectivity of the allylic silane. 

Polyene cyclizations are of substantial value in the synthesis of polycyclic terpene natural products. These syntheses resemble the processes by which the polycyclic compounds are assembled in nature. The most dramatic example of biosynthesis of a polycyclic skeleton from a polyene intermediate is the conversion of squalene oxide to the steroid lanosterol. In the biological reaction, an enzyme not only to induces the cationic cyclization but also holds the substrate in a conformation corresponding to stereochemistry of the polycyclic product.17 In this case, the cyclization is terminated by a series of rearrangements. 

Scheme 10.1 gives some representative examples of laboratory syntheses involving polyene cyclization. The cyclization in Entry 1 is done in anhydrous formic acid and involves the formation of a symmetric tertiary allylic carbocation. The cyclization forms a six-membered ring by attack at the terminal carbon of the vinyl group. The bicyclic cation is captured as the formate ester. Entry 2 also involves initiation by a symmetric allylic cation. In this case, the triene unit cyclizes to a tricyclic ring system. Entry 3 results in the formation of the steroidal skeleton with termination by capture of the alkynyl group and formation of a ketone. The cyclization in Entry 4 is initiated by epoxide opening. 

As with carbocation-initiated polyene cyclizations, radical cyclizations can proceed through several successive steps if the steric and electronic properties of the reactant provide potential reaction sites. Cyclization may be followed by a second intramolecular step or by an intermolecular addition or alkylation. Intermediate radicals can be constructed so that hydrogen atom transfer can occur as part of the overall process. For example, 2-bromohexenes having radical stabilizing substituents at C(6) can undergo cyclization after a hydrogen atom transfer step.348... 

Both the E- and Z-isomers of vinylsilane 13-A have been subjected to polyene cyclization using TiCl4-Ti(0-i-Pr)4. Although the Z-isomer gives an 85-90% yield, the -isomer affords only a 30-40% yield. Offer an explanation. 

---