Hydroxyl inversion

Studies conducted thus far to develop synthetic apphcations of this chemistry have relied heavily on the earlier finding that the tra s,tra s-amidocyclopentenyl acetate 40 can be prepared readily by irradiation of pyridine in aqueous acid solution (Scheme 14). This substance is functionally similar to compounds that have been converted to non-racemic mono-alcohols by enzymatic desymmetrization processes. Thus, treatment of diacetate 40 with the electric eel acetylcholinesterase (EEACE) was found to generate the mono-ester 41 in a 68% yield and 80% ee (Scheme 16). In addition, Mariano and coworkers have demonstrated that stereochemical diversity can be introduced into the aminocyclopentene ring system using hydroxyl inversion procedures.An example of this is found in the conversion of 41 to its ds-trans-diastereomer 42 by employment of the amide directed inversion method developed by Wipf and co-workers " (Scheme 16). These observations have estabhshed the foundation for applications of pyridinium salt photochemistry to the synthesis of the biomedically important aminocyclopentitols and aminoaldopentoses shown in Schemes 17,18 and 19.13.15-17... 

In the olivanic acid series of carbapenems the ( )-acetamidoethenyl grouping can be isomerised to the (Z)-isomer (19) (22) and reaction with hypobromous acid provides a bromohydrin that fragments to give a thiol of type (20) when R = H, SO H, or COCH. The thiol is not isolated but can react to provide new alkyl or alkenyl C-2 substituents (28). In the case of the nonsulfated olivanic acids, inversion of the stereochemistry at the 8(3)-hydroxyl group by way of a Mitsunobu reaction affords an entry to the 8(R)-thienamycin series (29). An alternative method for introducing new sulfur substituents makes use of a displacement reaction of a carbapenem (3)-oxide with a thiol (30). Microbial deacylation of the acylamino group in PS-5 (5) has... 

The reaction of diethyl tartrate with sulfur tetrafluonde at 25 °C results in replacement of one hydroxyl group, whereas at 100 °C, both hydroxyl groups are replaced by fluonne to form a,a -difluorosuccinate [762] The stereochemical outcome of the fluonnation of tartrate esters is retention of configuration at one of the chiral carbon atoms and inversion of configuration at the second chiral center [163,164, 165] Thus, treatment ofdimethyl(+)-L-tartrate with sulfur tetrafluonde gives dimethyl meso-a,a difluorosuccinate as the final product [163, 164], whereas dimethyl meso tartrate is converted into a racemic mixture of D- and L-a,a -difluorosuccmates [765] (equation 80)... 

The Mitsunobu reaction is usually used to introduce an ester with inversion of configuration. The use of this methodology on an anomeric hydroxyl was found to give only the /3-benzoate, whereas other methods gave mixtures of anomers. Improved yields are obtained in the Mitsunobu esterification when p-nitrobenzoic acid is used as the nucleophile/ Bis(dimethylamino) azodicarboxylate as an activating agent was... 

It would be reasonable to expect that the decomposition of the N,N-dimethylimino ester chlorides proceeds via a bimolecular mechanism already demonstrated for the thermal decomposition of simple imino ester salts (79). In the carbohydrate series, where an isolated secondary hydroxyl group is involved, such a process would result in chlorodeoxy sugar derivatives with overall inversion of configuration, provided that the approach of the chloride ion is not sterically hindered. Further experiments are in progress in this laboratory utilizing additional model substance to establish the scope and stereochemical course of the chlorination reaction. 

An interesting combination of enzymatic with non-enzymatic transformation in a one-pot three-step multiple sequence was reported by Waldmann and coworkers [82]. Phenols 125 in the presence of oxygen and enzyme tyrosinase are hydroxylated to catechols 126 which are then oxidized in situ to ortho quinones 127. These intermediates subsequently undergo a Diels-Alder reaction with inverse electron demand by reaction with different dienophiles (Table 4.19) to give endo bicyclic 1,2-diketones 128 and 129 in good yields. 

The lifetime of T is an inverse function of the hydroxyl radical concentration [HO>] and the rate constant kj for its reaction with a particular trace gas... 

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