Dithiane alcohols

Intermediate 10 must now be molded into a form suitable for coupling with the anion derived from dithiane 9. To this end, a che-moselective reduction of the benzyl ester grouping in 10 with excess sodium borohydride in methanol takes place smoothly and provides primary alcohol 14. Treatment of 14 with methanesulfonyl chloride and triethylamine affords a primary mesylate which is subsequently converted into iodide 15 with sodium iodide in acetone. Exposure of 15 to tert-butyldimethylsilyl chloride and triethylamine accomplishes protection of the /Mactam nitrogen and leads to the formation of 8. Starting from L-aspartic acid (12), the overall yield of 8 is approximately 50%, and it is noteworthy that this reaction sequence can be performed on a molar scale. 

To create a setting favorable for the formation of the E-ring of ginkgolide B, it is first necessary to modify the reactivity potential of ring F in 23. Exposure of a solution of 23 in methylene chloride to 1,3-propanedithiol and titanium(iv) chloride at 0°C results in the formation of dithiane 24 in quantitative yield. Oxidation of the primary alcohol with PDC in the presence of acetic acid gives aldehyde 25 in a yield of 75 %. 

The use of ethyl ethylthiomethyl sulphoxide in this reaction leads to the desired addition products in much better yields (95-97%). These products were then converted into ketene dithioacetal monoxide derivatives 430 by a sequence of reactions (equation 258)505. Reaction of 2-lithio-l,3-dithiane-l-oxide with benzophenone affords a mixture of the diastereoisomeric tertiary alcohols 431 in a ratio which is temperature dependent (cis trans changes from 3 1 at — 78 °C to 1 1 at room temperature)268. 

An efficient synthesis of ( )-quebrachamine is based on the construction of a suitable precursor via ring cleavage of an a-diketone monothioketal (810) (80JCS(P1)457). This monothioketal, available from 4-ethoxycarbonylcyclohexanone ethylene ketal, was fragmented to the dithianyl half ester (811) with sodium hydride in the presence of water. Reaction of (811) with tryptamine and DCC provided an amide which was converted to the stereoisomeric lactams (812) on hydrolysis of the dithiane function. Reduction of either the a- or /3-ethyl isomer with lithium aluminum hydride followed by conversion of the derived amino alcohol to its mesylate produced the amorphous quaternary salt (813). On reduction with sodium in liquid ammonia, the isomeric salts provided ( )-quebrachamine (814 Scheme 190). 

---