2,3-epoxy alcohols ethers

The 2,3-epoxy alcohols are often obtained in high optical purity (90% enantiomeric excess or higher), and are useful intermediates for further transformations. For example by nucleophilic ring opening the epoxide unit may be converted into an alcohol, a /3-hydroxy ether or a vicinal diol. 

The synthesis of the trisubstituted cyclohexane sector 160 commences with the preparation of optically active (/ )-2-cyclohexen-l-ol (199) (see Scheme 49). To accomplish this objective, the decision was made to utilize the powerful catalytic asymmetric reduction process developed by Corey and his colleagues at Harvard.83 Treatment of 2-bromocyclohexenone (196) with BH3 SMe2 in the presence of 5 mol % of oxazaborolidine 197 provides enantiomeri-cally enriched allylic alcohol 198 (99% yield, 96% ee). Reductive cleavage of the C-Br bond in 198 with lithium metal in terf-butyl alcohol and THF then provides optically active (/ )-2-cyclo-hexen-l-ol (199). When the latter substance is treated with wCPBA, a hydroxyl-directed Henbest epoxidation84 takes place to give an epoxy alcohol which can subsequently be protected in the form of a benzyl ether (see 175) under standard conditions. 

The oxirane ring in 175 is a valuable function because it provides a means for the introduction of the -disposed C-39 methoxy group of rapamycin. Indeed, addition of CSA (0.2 equivalents) to a solution of epoxy benzyl ether 175 in methanol brings about a completely regioselective and stereospecific solvolysis of the oxirane ring, furnishing the desired hydroxy methyl ether 200 in 90 % yield. After protection of the newly formed C-40 hydroxyl in the form of a tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBS) ether, hydrogenolysis of the benzyl ether provides alcohol 201 in 89 % overall yield. 

In a formal synthesis of fasicularin, the critical spirocyclic ketone intermediate 183 was obtained by use of the rearrangement reaction of the silyloxy epoxide 182, derived from the unsaturated alcohol 180. Alkene 180 was epoxidized with DMDO to produce epoxy alcohol 181 as a single diastereoisomer, which was transformed into the trimethyl silyl ether derivative 182. Treatment of 182 with HCU resulted in smooth ring-expansion to produce spiro compound 183, which was subsequently elaborated to the desired natural product (Scheme 8.46) [88]. 

P-Hydroxy ketones can be prepared by treating the silyl ethers (53) of a,p-epoxy alcohols with TiCU- ... 

Reaction with 2,3-epoxy alcohols. Both (CH3)2CuLi and (CH3)2CuCNLi2 react with trans-2,3-epoxy alcohols (with a simple alkyl group at C4) in ether to give about 1 1 mixtures of 1,2- and 1,3-diols. Addition of TMEDA or an imida-zolidinone (DMI, 11, 202) promotes reaction at C2 to give 1,3-diols, whereas addition of a Lewis acid promotes reaction at C3 to give 1,2-diols. 

Another example of a transannular cyclization that occurs in the solid state is provided by the epoxy alcohol 31. This compound is stable when dissolved in organic solvents and in 0.25N sulfuric acid. However, the crystals transform rapidly to 32. Although the process is accompanied by partial melting, it appears to be a true solid-state one. Interestingly, the reaction is slowed down appreciably when the dry crystals are covered with ether. Hydrogen bromide is eliminated in the reaction and it may be that an acid-catalyzed process is also occurring in the presence of solvent this process may be slowed down by the dissolution of the decomposition products in the solvent (77). 

Asymmetric epoxidation of 10a under standard conditions yields the crystalline epoxy alcohol 2a in 95% ee (91% chemical yield). Treatment of 9a with thioanisol in 0.5N NaOH, in rerf-butyl alcohol solution, gives -after protection of the hydroxyl groups as benzyl ethers- the sulfide a (60% overall yield) through an epoxide ringopening process involving a Payne rearrangement. Since the sulfide could not be hydrolysed to the aldehyde 7a without epimerisation at the a-position, it was acetoxylated in 71% yield under the conditions shown in the synthetic sequence (8a... 

Along these lines, Jacobsen and co-workers <99AG(E)2012> published an interesting enantioselective cyclization of meso epoxy alcohols which were catalyzed by the cobalt(UI)salen complex 69. Thus, epoxy alcohol 70 was converted to the chiral bicyclic hydroxy ether 71 in 96% yield and 98% ee. 

In plants a-dioxygenases (Chapter 18) convert free fatty acids into 2(R)-hydroperoxy derivatives (Eq. 7-3, step d).32a These may be decarboxylated to fatty aldehydes (step e, see also Eq. 15-36) but may also give rise to a variety of other products. Compounds arising from linoleic and linolenic acids are numerous and include epoxides, epoxy alcohols, dihydroxy acids, short-chain aldehydes, divinyl ethers, and jasmonic acid (Eq. 21-18).32a... 

Compatibility of asymmetric epoxidation with acetals, ketals, ethers, and esters has led to extensive use of allylic alcohols containing these groups in the synthesis of polyoxygenated natural products. One such synthetic approach is illustrated by the asymmetric epoxidation of 15, an allylic alcohol derived from (S)-glyceraldehyde acetonide [59,62]. In the epoxy alcohol (16) obtained from 15, each carbon of the five-carbon chain is oxygenated, and all stereochemistry has been controlled. The structural relationship of 16 to the pentoses is evident, and methods leading to these carbohydrates have been described [59,62a]. 

The epoxy alcohol 47 is a squalene oxide analog that has been used to examine substrate specificity in enzymatic cyclizations by baker s yeast [85], The epoxy alcohol 48 provided an optically active intermediate used in the synthesis of 3,6-epoxyauraptene and marmine [86], and epoxy alcohol 49 served as an intermediate in the synthesis of the antibiotic virantmycin [87], In the synthesis of the three stilbene oxides 50, 51, and 52, the presence of an o-chloro group in the 2-phenyl ring resulted in a lower enantiomeric purity (70% ee) when compared with the analogs without this chlorine substituent [88a]. The very efficient (80% yield, 96% ee) formation of 52a by asymmetric epoxidation of the allylic alcohol precursor offers a synthetic entry to optically active 11 -deoxyanthracyclinones [88b], whereas epoxy alcohol 52b is one of several examples of asymmetric epoxidation used in the synthesis of brevitoxin precursors [88c]. Diastereomeric epoxy alcohols 54 and 55 are obtained in combined 90% yield (>95% ee each) from epoxidation of the racemic alcohol 53 [89], Diastereomeric epoxy alcohols, 57 and 58, also are obtained with high enantiomeric purity in the epoxidation of 56 [44]. The epoxy alcohol obtained from substrate 59 undergoes further intramolecular cyclization with stereospecific formation of the cyclic ether 60 [90]. 

Reduction of, (t-epoxy alcohols. Reduction of 3-substituted-2,3-epoxy alcohols by SMEAH, particularly in THF, gives essentially only the 1,3-diol. However, a substituent at C2 reverses the selectivity and decreases the reaction rate. The hydroxyl group also plays a role the corresponding benzyl ethers show only a slight preference for reduction at C3.1... 

Another regioselective addition to an epoxide was used as one step in a synthesis of the r-butyldiphenylsilyl ether (7) of verrucarinic acid from 5.3 The diol was converted into the optically active epoxy alcohol by the Sharpless method (10, 64-65) and then oxidized to the epoxy acid 6 by the new ruthenium-catalyzed oxidation of Sharpless et al. (this volume). This epoxy acid undergoes almost exclusive / -addition with trimethylaluminum to give the desired product 7. 

Reduction of ttjl-epoxy ketones. These ketones arc reduced with high stereoselectivity to err/Aw-epoxy alcohols ( > 90% erythro) by Zn(Blt4), in ether, regardless... 

The stereospecific isomerization of 3,4-epoxyalcohols under acidic or basic conditions <2002T6199, 1998TL8259> has been the method of choice for the final step in syntheses of merrilactone (Equation 48) <2006AGE4843>. An analogous acid-promoted closure of benzyl ethers of epoxy alcohols has also been observed <2000H(52)171>. An unusual 4-/ro/o-isomerization of a hydroxy epoxide apparently reflects the inability of a primary alcohol to cyclize via 4-exo- or 5-endo-modes transesterification liberates the secondary alcohol, which undergoes a 4-< //6>-cyclization (Equation 49). An X-ray structure of the product has been reported <2003JOC4422>. Section... 

In order to prevent competing homoallylic asymmetric epoxidation (AE, which, it will be recalled, preferentially delivers the opposite enantiomer to that of the allylic alcohol AE), the primary alcohol in 12 was selectively blocked as a thexyldimethylsilyl ether. Conventional Sharpless AE7 with the oxidant derived from (—)-diethyl tartrate, titanium tetraisopropoxide, and f-butyl hydroperoxide next furnished the anticipated a, [3-epoxy alcohol 13 with excellent stereocontrol (for a more detailed discussion of the Sharpless AE see section 8.4). Selective O-desilylation was then effected with HF-triethylamine complex. The resulting diol was protected as a base-stable O-isopropylidene acetal using 2-methoxypropene and a catalytic quantity of p-toluenesulfonic acid in dimethylformamide (DMF). Note how this blocking protocol was fully compatible with the acid-labile epoxide. 

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