Diols lactone synthesis

In the saussurea lactone synthesis by Grieco (Scheme 31) [18], cleavage of the C(2)-C(3) link was carried out by ozonolysis of the C(2)-C(3) double bond in compound 247, obtained regioselectively from tetrahydrosantonin 3b by a Shapiro reaction, to give diol 51. Subsequent elimination of both hycftoxyl groups in several steps yielded saussurea lactone (56). An improvement of tWs procedure, described by our group [17], was based on the transformation of diol 51 into diselenide 52, which could then be transformed directly into saussurea lactone (56) (see Scheme 8). 

Scheme 2.48 Lactone synthesis by oxidative lactonization of diols.

The intramolecular oxidative earbonylation has wide synthetie applieation. The 7-lactone 247 is prepared by intramolecular oxycarbonylation of the alke-nediol 244 with a stoichiometric amount of Pd(OAc)2 under atmospheric pres-sure[223]. The intermediate 245 is formed by oxypalladation, and subsequent CO insertion gives the acylpalladium 246. The oxycarbonylation of alkenols and alkanediols can be carried out with a catalytic amount of PdCl2 and a stoichiometric amount of CuCb, and has been applied to the synthesis of frenolicin(224] and frendicin B (249) from 248[225]. The carbonylation of the 4-penten-l,3-diol 250, catalyzed by PdCl2 and CuCl2, afforded in the c -3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran-2-aeetie acid lactone 251[226J. The cyclic acetal 253 is prepared from the dienone 252 in the presence of trimethyl orthoformate as an accepter of water formed by the oxidative reaction[227]. 

The addition of Grignard reagents to aldehydes, ketones, and esters is the basis for the synthesis of a wide variety of alcohols, and several examples are given in Scheme 7.3. Primary alcohols can be made from formaldehyde (Entry 1) or, with addition of two carbons, from ethylene oxide (Entry 2). Secondary alcohols are obtained from aldehydes (Entries 3 to 6) or formate esters (Entry 7). Tertiary alcohols can be made from esters (Entries 8 and 9) or ketones (Entry 10). Lactones give diols (Entry 11). Aldehydes can be prepared from trialkyl orthoformate esters (Entries 12 and 13). Ketones can be made from nitriles (Entries 14 and 15), pyridine-2-thiol esters (Entry 16), N-methoxy-A-methyl carboxamides (Entries 17 and 18), or anhydrides (Entry 19). Carboxylic acids are available by reaction with C02 (Entries 20 to 22). Amines can be prepared from imines (Entry 23). Two-step procedures that involve formation and dehydration of alcohols provide routes to certain alkenes (Entries 24 and 25). 

Scheme 21 shows the synthesis of a dihydrofuran derivative 86. Synthesis of this compound was described by Nam et al. [68] utilizing a furanone compound 87 synthesized by Kim et al. [61] via a similar synthetic approach as described in Scheme 17. The lactone was reduced using lithium aluminum hydride to give the diol 88 and intramolecular etherification using the Mitsunobu reaction afforded the dihydrofuran 86 in moderate yield (47%).

One of the earliest and most important discoveries in metal-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis is Sharpless s Ti-catalyzed epoxidation of allylic alcohols. A mere mention of all the total syntheses that have used this technology would require a separate review article Here, we select Trost s masterful total synthesis of solamin (100, Scheme 14), for its beautiful and multiple use of Sharpless s asymmetric epoxidation.1161 Optically pure epoxy alcohol 95 is converted to both epoxy iodide 96 and diol 97 The latter two intermediates are then united to give 98, which is oxidized and converted to dihydrofuran 99 by a Ramberg-Backlund transformation. The Re catalyzed butenolide annulation that is used to afford the requisite unsaturated lactone only adds to the efficiency of this beautiful total synthesis. 

With a good route to the key meso diol 128 in hand, the authors turned their attention to desymmetrization, using the known asymmetric hydrolysis of meso diacetates by Lipase AK (Scheme 23). The meso diol 128 was first converted to diacetate 140, and then hydrolyzed with Lipase AK to cleave selectively one of the two acetates, producing chiral hydroxyester 141. Oxidation, cleavage of the acetate, and lactonization yielded the (3S,4.R) lactone 129. The corresponding lactol (3S,4 )-130 was found to be the enantiomer of the compound produced in the HLADH synthesis. 

The environmentally benign synthesis of lactones has attracted attention because of their importance in natural product chemistry. The oxidative cyclization of diols via carbon-oxygen bond formation is the most well-known approach for the synthesis of lactones [70]. 

The method by which lactone 17 was obtained was not without its own implications for the synthesis. Treatment of 16 with dry tetra n-butylammonium fluoride in acetonitrile achieved desilylation. Not unexpectedly, this process triggered migration of the C5 benzoyl group to the newly unveiled C4 alcohol. The C5 alcohol thereby liberated underwent lactonization to the desired 17 (61% yield from 16). Indeed, reaction of 17 with stoichiometric osmium tetroxide in pyridine-THF afforded a single diol formulated as 18 in 97% yield (see Figure 4). 

Nakata showed that stoich. RuOyCCl oxidised steroidal diols to the corresponding ketones [237] electrogenerated RuO from RuO /aq. NaCl/Na(H3PO ) pH 4/ Pt electrodes converted diols to lactones and keto acids (Tables 2.1-2.4) [267] and RuCyaq. 10(0H)3/CC1 -CH3CN oxidised 3-(benzyloxy)-l,2-octanediol to the acid (Tables 3.4, 3.5) [107]. A diol was converted to a lactone by stoicheio-metric oxidation with RuOyCCl as part of the total synthesis of the quassinoid ( )-amarolide [82],... 

Diols were converted to lactols by TPAP/NMO/PMS/CHjCN [352] or TPAP/NMO/ PMS/CH Clj-CHjCN [353] oxidation of a keto hemi-ketal by TPAP/NMO/PMS/ CH Cl in an avermectin synthesis yielded a lactol, via an intermediate retro-aldol [354], The 1,4-diols in Fig. 2.19 (R=C3H, Ph) produced lactones with TPAP/ NMO/PMS/CHjClj as did the 1,5-diol HO(CH3) C(OH)C5H, [46]. 

A diol was converted to a lactone by oxidation with stoich. RuOyCCl as part of the total synthesis of the quassinoid ( )-amaroMe [355] stoich. (PPh )[Ru(0)2Cl3]/... 

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