Ethers, methyl oxidative deprotection

The three-step sequence used to convert enone 65 to miltirone (56) is shown in Scheme 5.7 and consists of, first, a Wolff-Kishner reduction to convert the C(5) carbonyl moiety into a methylene, followed by deprotection of the aryl methyl ethers and oxidation to an ortho-quinone using ceric ammonium nitrate. The physical and spectroscopic data of our synthetic miltirone are identical with those reported for the natural material. 

Cyclohexanone (202) was converted to compound (203) whose transformation to cyclohexanone (204) was accomplished in three steps. It underwent cyclialkylation with boron trifluoride etherate affording the cyclized product (205) (R=R,=OMe) in 64% yield along with naphthalene (206) (R=Ri= H,H). Compound (205) on heating under reflux with DDQ in benzene produced ketone (207) whose tosylhydrazone on treatment with sodium cyanoborohydride afforded reduced product (208). Deprotection of the aryl methyl ethers and oxidation with ceric ammonium nitrate led to the formation of miltirone (197). 

Protection of alcohols. Even somewhat hindered secondary alcohols or tertiary alcohols are converted into (p-methoxybenzyloxy)methyl (PMBM) ethers by reaction with 1 and diisopropylethylamine in CH2C12 for 3-30 hours. Deprotection can be effected by oxidation with DDQ (65-95% yield), a method previously recommended for deprotection of p-methoxybenzyl ethers (11, 166-167). 

A synthesis of 149, cucujolide VIII, proceeded via the tert-butyldimethylsi-lyl-(TBS)-ether of methyl (E)-12-hydroxydodec-4-enoate B [293] (Fig. 7). Deprotonation in a-position and reaction with di(4-methoxyphenyl)diselenide furnished C. This was transformed to the macrolide E after saponification of the ester moiety, deprotection of the hydroxy group, and Mitsunobu lactonization. Alternatively, the unsaturated lactone F was synthesized from B following a sequence similar to that from C to D. Oxidative elimination of the arylseleno group... 

The p-anisyloxymethyl group520 (abbreviated AOM) played an important role in the synthesis of Calicheamicinone reported by Clive and co-workers.521 Its removal from the sensitive multifunctional substrate 285 1 [Scheme 4.285] was accomplished with CAN in a mixture of pyridine, methanol and water. The excellent yield (89%) attests to the mildness of the conditions. Attempts to apply the same conditions to the deprotection of an AOM group from 286 1 [Scheme 4.286]522 failed but the deprotection was successful if it was conducted in the presence of 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid N-oxide — conditions previously used to convert a phenol methyl ether to a quinone.523 AOM ethers undergo easy reductive cleavage to the corresponding methyl ethers with borane in toluene — a reaction that could have synthetic value when simple O-methylation procedures fail. 

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