Cyclohexanones samarium diiodide

Despite the tremendous amount of work on samarium diiodide mediated reactions, few examples of cyclic ketone reductions have been described. One example is a step in the synthesis of racemic atractyligenin49 where an annulated cyclohexanone was reduced efficiently with samarium diiodide in tetrahydrofuran/ water at 20 C to give the 2/J-alcohol equatorioselectively. 

Cyclopentanoids have been prepared by samarium diiodide-catalysed reaction of 8 (R-Tbdms) with either aldehydes or ketones. The stereochemical outcome was dependent on the carbonyl compound used, with cyclohexanone giving 9 as a single product, while cyclohexane carboxaldehyde gave an isomeric mixture containing predominantly 10. ... 

---