Geranylation

Asymmetric hydrogenolysis of allylic esters with formic acid with satisfactory ee was observed[387], Geranyl methyl carbonate (594) was reduced to 570 with formic acid using l,8-bis(dimethylamino)naphthalene as a base and MOP-Phen as the best chiral ligand, achieving 85% ee. 

Geranyl acetoacetate (685) is converted into geranylacetone (686). On the other hand, a mixture of E- and Z-isomers of 688 is obtained from neryl acetoacetate (687). The decarboxylation and allylation of the allyl malonate or cyanoacetate 689 affords the o-allylated acetate or nitriie[447]. The trifluoromethyl ketone 691 is prepared from cinnamyl 4.4,4-trifluoroacetoace-tate (690)[448],... 

The product of this reaction is geranyl pyrophosphate Hydrolysis of the pyrophosphate ester group gives geramol a naturally occurring monoterpene found m rose oil... 

Geranyl pyrophosphate is an allylic pyrophosphate and like dimethylallyl pyrophosphate can act as an alkylating agent toward a molecule of isopentenyl pyrophosphate A 15 carbon carbocation is formed which on deprotonation gives/ar nesyl pyrophosphate... 

The enzyme catalyzed reactions that lead to geraniol and farnesol (as their pyrophosphate esters) are mechanistically related to the acid catalyzed dimerization of alkenes discussed m Section 6 21 The reaction of an allylic pyrophosphate or a carbo cation with a source of rr electrons is a recurring theme m terpene biosynthesis and is invoked to explain the origin of more complicated structural types Consider for exam pie the formation of cyclic monoterpenes Neryl pyrophosphate formed by an enzyme catalyzed isomerization of the E double bond m geranyl pyrophosphate has the proper geometry to form a six membered ring via intramolecular attack of the double bond on the allylic pyrophosphate unit... 

Introduction of Nitrogen into a Terpenoid Skeleton. The acetate-derived fragments (35) mevalonic acid (30), which yields isopentenyl pyrophosphate (31) and its isomer, 3,3-dimethyl ally pyrophosphate (32) a dimeric C -fragment, geranyl pyrophosphate (33), which gives rise to the iridoid loganin (34) and the trimer famesyl pyrophosphate (35), which is also considered the precursor to C q steroids, have already been mentioned (see Table 3... 

Of the 10 constituents which represent nearly half the oil of neroH, only linalool (10) can be said to contribute direcdy to the characteristic aroma of orange flower oil. In 1977, IFF chemists performed an in-depth analysis of this oil and identified three simple terpenic compounds, each present at less than 0.01%, a-terpenyl methyl ether [1457-68-0] (31), geranyl methyl ether [2565-82-4] (32), andhnalyl methyl ether [60763-44-2] (33) (11). The latter two compounds possess green floral-citms aromas and have been known to perfumery for some time a-terpenyl methyl ether (31) has been called the orange flower ether by IFF chemists owing to its characteristic odor. 

Some of the other eucalyptus oils of commercial importance iaclude the Chinese eucalyptus, a camphor/ciaeole-type oil E. citriodora Hook, a citroaeUal-type oil E. staigeriana F.v. Muel., a citral-type oil and E. macarthuri H. Deane Maiden, a geranyl acetate-type oil. 

The preparation of coenzyme Q usually iavolves either 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methylbenzoquinone or hydroquiaone as the starting material. Treatment of the hydroquiaone with geranyl bromide followed by oxidation affords (61, n = 2) (214). A facile and efficient preparation of ubiquiaone-10 (61, n = 10) has been developed (215). 

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