Hexahydromandelic acid

A solution of 76 g (S)-( + )-mandelic acid in 400 ml methanol and 5 ml acetic acid was reduced over 5% rhodium-on-alumina under 100 psig for 10 h. The catalyst was removed by filtration through Celite, and the methanol was removed in a rotary evaporator. The white, solid residue was dissolved in I 1 of hot diethyl ether and filtered while hot. After reduction of the volume to 400 ml, 250 ml cyclohexane was added. The remainder of the ether was removed, and the cyclohexane solution was stored for several hours in a refrigerator. The white crystals were filtered and dried in vacuo at 40 C the yield of (S)-( + )-hexahydromandelic acid was 71%. 

A quasi-racemate or pseudo-racemate is a true racemate like molecular compound formed between optical antipode of different (but related) compounds. The quasi-racemate also has a melting point ciin c resembling the curve of a true racemate but with quasi-racemic compounds the curves are unsymmetrical, because the melting points of the components are different as shown in Fig. (9.3). The curve A represents the melting point of a true-racemate formed by mixing (+) mandelic acid XXII and (-) hexahydromandelic acid XXIII while B represents that of a mixture of (+) XXII and (+) hexa hydro-mandelic acid XXIII. 

In contrast to benzyl alcohol, a-substituted benzyl alcohols, benzyl ethers, and aryl ketones may be successfully hydrogenated over rhodium and rhodium-platinum catalysts to give the corresponding saturated products in high yields, as shown in eqs. 11.38-11.41. In the hydrogenations shown in eqs. 11.38 and 11.39, no racemization took place D-mandelic acid afforded D-hexahydromandelic acid in 94% yield and meso- and dl-2,3-dicyclohexyl-2,3-butanediol were obtained in 93 and 94% yields, respectively, by hydrogenation of the corresponding diphenyl compounds. 

Masamune has also completed a synthesis of tylonide hemiacetal (291) based on the creative use of enantioselective aldol condensations, as shown in Scheme 2.26. The aldol condensation of 328, derived from (/f)-hexahydromandelic acid and prop anal, was found to be >100 1 diastereoselective, affording the 2,3 syn compound 329 in 97% yield. Transformation to the p,7-unsaturated ester 330 occurred via selenoxide elimination and periodate cleavage followed by esterification. Formation of the silyl ether, reduction, and protection of the ester followed by ozonolysis of the terminal olefin gave the diol-protected aldehyde 331. The C-11 to C-15 segment 332 was then completed via chain elongation and a subsequent reduction-oxidation sequence in 34% overall yield from 330. 

The reaction of diethyl oxalate with ketones in the presence of sodium ethoxide, or other bases, has been used extensively examples are given in Scheme 66. Reaction may occur with esterketone ratios of 1 1, 2 1, or 1 2, but only the 1 1 case finds substantial use in modem synthetic practice. Frequently the a-oxalyl ketone is thermally decarbonylated to give the 3-heto ester.An early example of this was provided by Bachmann s synthesis of equilenin. The mechanism of this reaction has teen examined labeling studies showed that it was the ester carbonyl that was eliminated. The intact oxalyl group has teen used as a directing group in steroid methylation while, more recently, 2-oxalylcyclohexanone has provided a route to (R)-(-)-hexahydromandelic acid (Scheme 67). The products of acylation of suitable acyclic ketones can cyclize to form (enolic) cyclopentane-1,2,4-triones (equation 39). ... 

Catalytic hydrogenation of 1 in the presence of rhodium on aluminum oxide proceeds smoothly to afford (5)-hexahydromandelic acid (3) [2]. Subsequent treatment of 3 with ethyllithium provides in 75% yield the ketone 4, which is 0-silylated to afford 5. Generated in situ with the appropriate dialkylboron triflate and 5, the boron enolates 6a—c react with a variety of aldehydes to provide exclusively a mixture of syn-d o products 7 and 8 in 70-80% yields, often with excellent stereoselectivities. 

It is seen that the retention and the chiral selectivity decreases as the solute becomes less polar and more dispersive in interactive character. This indicates that both the retention and chiral selectivity is largely dependent on polar interactions between solute and stationary phase. This technique was applied to the evaluation of some samples of (-)- and (+)-hexahydromandelic acid, are the results are shown in figure 11.29. 

The Analysis of Some Commercial Samples of Hexahydromandelic Acid Courtesy of the J. Liq. Chromatogr. [Ref 18]... 

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