2- Decalone

The addition of large enolate synthons to cyclohexenone derivatives via Michael addition leads to equatorial substitution. If the cyclohexenone conformation is fixed, e.g. as in decalones or steroids, the addition is highly stereoselective. This is also the case with the S-addition to conjugated dienones (Y. Abe, 1956). Large substituents at C-4 of cyclic a -synthons direct incoming carbanions to the /rans-position at C-3 (A.R. Battersby, 1960). The thermodynamically most stable products are formed in these cases, because the addition of 1,3-dioxo compounds to activated double bonds is essentially reversible. 

Intramolecular reactions between donor and acceptor centres in fused ring systems provide a general route to bridged polycyclic systems. The cts-decalone mesylate given below contains two d -centres adjacent to the carbonyl function and one a -centre. Treatment of this compound with base leads to reversible enolate formation, and the C-3 carbanion substitutes the mesylate on C-7 (J. Gauthier, 1967 A. Belanger, 1968). 

The Birch reductions of C C double bonds with alkali metals in liquid ammonia or amines obey other rules than do the catalytic hydrogenations (D. Caine, 1976). In these reactions regio- and stereoselectivities are mainly determined by the stabilities of the intermediate carbanions. If one reduces, for example, the a, -unsaturated decalone below with lithium, a dianion is formed, whereof three different conformations (A), (B), and (C) are conceivable. Conformation (A) is the most stable, because repulsion disfavors the cis-decalin system (B) and in (C) the conjugation of the dianion is interrupted. Thus, protonation yields the trans-decalone system (G. Stork, 1964B). 

In the following example a mixture of the cis- and rra 5-decalones is converted completely to the cis-isomer, in general the thermodynamically less favored isomer. 

The l(9)-enolate of 1-decalone exhibits a preference for alkylation to form a cis ring juncture. 

In this experiment, advantage is made of the fact that lithium-ammonia reduction usually proceeds to give trans-fused Decalins 4). Thus, hydrogenation of A -octal one-2 over palladium catalyst gives essentially cw-2-decalone as the product, whereas the lithium-ammonia reduction of the octalone gives the trans ring fusion. 

The bromination given in the preceding experiment may be applied to trans-lO-methyl-2-decalone prepared in Chapter 3, Section III. The product is recrystallized from petroleum ether-benzene (10 1) giving colorless needles, mp 101-103°. 

The Michael reaction with enamines is exemplified in this procedure. In a second (spontaneous) step of the reaction, an aldol-type condensation occurs resulting in cyclization. Finally, the morpholine enamine of the product forms and is hydrolized by the addition of water to yield a mixture of octalones, which is separated by fractional crystallization. J -Octalone-2 can be reduced by lithium in anhydrous ammonia to the saturated tra/i5-2-decalone (Chapter 3, Section III). 

A 7.5 g sample of c/5-10-methyl-2-decalon-9-ol is mixed with 100 ml of 10% aqueous potassium hydroxide and steam distilled, about 1 liter of distillate being collected. The distillate is saturated with sodium chloride and extracted three times with 100-ml... 

ETHYL BENZOATE VIA THE NITRO-SOAMIDE DECOMPOSITION, 47, 44 Decachlorobi-2,4-cyclopentadienyl, dechlorination by triisopropyl phosphite, 46, 93 a-Decalones, 46, 82 Decanoyl fluoride, 46, 6 Decarboxylation, in formation of couma-rone from o-formylphenoxyacetic acid, 46, 28... 

If the enone is part of a decalone system, i.e., a / - and an y-substituent are present, on reaction with lithiated areneacetonitriles in THF the exclusive formation of (Tv-substituted decalones is observedl26. The diastereoselectivity at the exocyclic stereogenic center is, however, poor. Applications in the synthesis of anthracyclines are given in the literature127,12S. 

Protected cyanohydrins may be employed as acyl anion equivalents in 1,4-additions in the presence of HMPA129. For instance cyanohydrins prepared from arylaldehydes add in a 1,4-fashion under thermodynamic control (THF or THF/HMPA) to cyclohexenone, isophorone and decalone systems in the latter case c/.s-octahydro-2(l/f)-naphthalenones are exclusively obtained 130-131. 

Using 3-substituted cyclohexanones the /rans-diastereoselective synthesis of decalones and octahydro-1 //-indenones may be achieved 164 169. This method has been applied, for instance, in the synthesis of 19-norsteroids. In a related Michael addition the lithium enolate of (R)-5-trimethylsilyl-2-cyclohexenone reacts with methyl 2-propenoate selectively tram to the trimethylsilyl substituent. Subsequent intramolecular ring closure provides a single enantiomer of the bicyclo[2.2.2]octane170 (see also Section 1.5.2.4.4.). 

The isomerization observed in the methylenation of c/s-a-decalones has been turned to good advantage. Mixtures of cis- and tra/is-isomers of the a-decalones (44) and (46) gave only the /ra/i -decalins (45) and (47). 

The enzyme derived from Pseudomonas sp. strain HI-70 is able to oxidize a wide range of substrates including C12-C15 ketones, C5 and Cg ketones with methyl substituents, and some bicyclic ketones including decalones (Iwaki et al. 2006). 

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