Halides, terpenoid

The result of the retrosynthetic analysis of rac-lO is 2-hydroxyphenazine (9) and the terpenoid unit rac-23, which may be linked by ether formation [29]. The rac-23 component can be dissected into the alkyl halide rac-24 and the (E)-vinyl halide 25. A Pd(0)-catalyzed sp -sp coupling reaction is meant to ensure both the reaction of rac-24 and 25 and the ( )-geometry of the C-6, C-7 double bond. Following Negishi, 25 is accessible via carboalumination from alkyne 27, which might be traced back to (E,E)-farnesyl acetone (28). The idea was to produce 9 in accordance with one of the methods reported in the literature, and to obtain rac-24 in a few steps from symmetrical 3-methyl-pentane-1,5-diol (26) by selective functionalization of either of the two hydroxyl groups. 

Reductive coupling of allylic halides. This cobalt complex (1 equiv.) effects reductive coupling of allylic halides to form 1,5-dienes with preservation of the geometry of the double bonds/ The major product from coupling of terpenoid allylic halides is that formed by head-to-head coupling. The triphenylphosphine liberated during the reaction is removed as methyltriphenylphosphonium iodide, obtained by reaction with methyl... 

The protonolysis reaction tolerates functionalities such as halide or ether groups in the alkylborane. However, p-dialkylaminoalkylboron compounds undergo elimination to give alkenes under these conditions (see Section 3.10.1.2). ° " Also, systems which are intrinsically labile to either acid or heat, such as some terpenoids, may give problems. For example, enantiomerically pure limonene produces 1 -men-thene which is substantially racemized on hydroboration-protonolysis (Scheme 15). 

A number of terpenoid compounds have been synthesized by the reaction of n-allylnickel(I) halides with allyl bromides. Geranyl acetate (XCI) and farnesyl acetate (XCII) have been obtained from the nickel complex (XC) and appropriate allylic halides (Guerrieri and Chiusoli, 1969). The reaction of the complex (XCIII) and the bromides (XCIV) forms geranyl ether or ester... 

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