Epoxidation stereospecific, catalytic

Following Uskokovic s seminal quinine synthesis [40], Jacobsen has very recently reported the first catalytic asymmetric synthesis of quinine and quinidine. The stereospecific construction of the bicyclic framework, introducing the relative and absolute stereochemistry at the Cg- and expositions, was achieved by way of the enantiomerically enriched trans epoxide 87, prepared from olefin 86 by SAD (AD-mix (3) and subsequent one-pot cyclization of the corresponding diol [2b], The key intramolecular SN2 reaction between the Ni- and the Cg-positions was accomplished by removal of the benzyl carbamate with Et2AlCl/thioanisole and subsequent thermal cyclization to give the desired quinudidine skeleton (Scheme 8.22) [41],... 

Scheme 10.27 Catalytic cycle of HppE. Dashed arrows indicate electron transport. In this scheme HPP binds to iron1". After a one-electron reduction, dioxygen binds and reoxidizes the iron center. The peroxide radical is capable of stereospecifically abstracting the (pro-R) hydrogen. Another one-electron reduction is required to reduce one peroxide oxygen to water. Epoxide formation is mediated by the resulting ironlv-oxo species.

Allylic alcohols can be converted to epoxy-alcohols with tert-butylhydroperoxide on molecular sieves, or with peroxy acids. Epoxidation of allylic alcohols can also be done with high enantioselectivity. In the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation,allylic alcohols are converted to optically active epoxides in better than 90% ee, by treatment with r-BuOOH, titanium tetraisopropoxide and optically active diethyl tartrate. The Ti(OCHMe2)4 and diethyl tartrate can be present in catalytic amounts (15-lOmol %) if molecular sieves are present. Polymer-supported catalysts have also been reported. Since both (-t-) and ( —) diethyl tartrate are readily available, and the reaction is stereospecific, either enantiomer of the product can be prepared. The method has been successful for a wide range of primary allylic alcohols, where the double bond is mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrasubstituted. This procedure, in which an optically active catalyst is used to induce asymmetry, has proved to be one of the most important methods of asymmetric synthesis, and has been used to prepare a large number of optically active natural products and other compounds. The mechanism of the Sharpless epoxidation is believed to involve attack on the substrate by a compound formed from the titanium alkoxide and the diethyl tartrate to produce a complex that also contains the substrate and the r-BuOOH. ... 

Besides ruthenium porphyrins (vide supra), several other ruthenium complexes were used as catalysts for asymmetric epoxidation and showed unique features 114,115 though enantioselectivity is moderate, some reactions are stereospecific and treats-olefins are better substrates for the epoxidation than are m-olcfins (Scheme 20).115 Epoxidation of conjugated olefins with the Ru (salen) (37) as catalyst was also found to proceed stereospecifically, with high enantioselectivity under photo-irradiation, irrespective of the olefmic substitution pattern (Scheme 21).116-118 Complex (37) itself is coordinatively saturated and catalytically inactive, but photo-irradiation promotes the dissociation of the apical nitrosyl ligand and makes the complex catalytically active. The wide scope of this epoxidation has been attributed to the unique structure of (37). Its salen ligand adopts a deeply folded and distorted conformation that allows the approach of an olefin of any substitution pattern to the intermediary oxo-Ru species.118 2,6-Dichloropyridine IV-oxide (DCPO) and tetramethylpyrazine /V. V -dioxide68 (TMPO) are oxidants of choice for this epoxidation. 

These catalytic reactions are distinguished from the homolytic reactions in that no evidence exists for paramagnetic intermediates. The epoxidation is stereospecific, trans- and c/.v-alkenes yielding trans- and o.v-epoxides, respectively. Under the same conditions, complexes of Cu, Mn, and Fe give no yields or... 

Hydrogenolysis of epoxides to alcohols by catalytic hydrogenation over platinum requires acid catalysis. 1-Methylcyclohexene oxide was reduced to a mixture of cis- and /ranj-2-methylcyclohexanol [652]. Steroidal epoxides usually gave axial alcohols stereospecifically 4,5-epoxycoprostan-3a-ol afforded cholestan-3a,4/J-diol [652 ]. 

Ketones can be converted to dioxiranes by Oxone (2KHSO5 KHSO4 K2SO4) under shghtly alkaline conditions (pH 7-8) (400). The dioxirane of 1,1,1-trifluoroacetone is a powerful yet selective oxidant under mild conditions, typically at temperatures below 313 K (10). Exemplary reactions are stereospecific olefin epoxidation and hydroxylation of tertiary C-H groups, or ketonization of CH2 groups. With chiral ketones, even enantioselective reactions are possible (401). Although the reactions are often performed in excess ketone, it is actually possible to use the ketone in a catalytic fashion, for example, for 1,1,1-trifluoroacetone (Scheme 5). 

These reactions can be carried out catalytically because the tellurium precipitated during the deoxygenation of the oxiranes will react rapidly with added sodium diethyl phosphite. Lithium 0,0-diethyl tellurolophosphate is a more powerful deoxygenation reagent and is able to convert certain internal epoxides to olefins in a stereospecific manner3. 

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