Lactones acids, reduction

Reaction of (T)-(-)-2-acetoxysuccinyl chloride (78), prepared from (5)-mahc acid, using the magnesiobromide salt of monomethyl malonate afforded the dioxosuberate (79) which was cyclized with magnesium carbonate to a 4 1 mixture of cyclopentenone (80) and the 5-acetoxy isomer. Catalytic hydrogenation of (80) gave (81) having the thermodynamically favored aH-trans stereochemistry. Ketone reduction and hydrolysis produced the bicycHc lactone acid (82) which was converted to the Corey aldehyde equivalent (83). A number of other approaches have been described (108). 

Sodium borohydride is a much milder reducing agent than lithium aluminium hydride and like the latter is used for the reduction of carbonyl compounds like aldehydes and ketones. However, under normal conditions it does not readily reduce epoxides, esters, lactones, acids, nitriles or nitro groups. 

As Holton and his associates emphasise, it is quite remarkable that deprotonation of -cis with LTMP apparently occurs first, and perhaps only, at C(l), even though the C(3) proton should be expected to be much more acidic. Reduction of 48-c/s with Red-Al (THF, at -78 °C, 1.5 h), followed by basic workup gave C(2)a-hydroxy rra 5-fused lactone (88%), which was treated with phosgene (10 equiv., pyridine, CH2CI2, -23 °C, 0.5 h) to give quantitatively the carbonate 49. 

The overall process (lactonization/NaBH4 reduction) therefore constitutes a formal protective method for y 5-unsaturated acids. 

Reductions of anhydrides of monocarboxylic acids to alcohols are very rare but can be accomplished by complex hydrides [55, 99]. More frequent are reductions of cyclic anhydrides of dicarboxylic acids, which give lactones. Such reductions were carried out by catalytic hydrogenation, by complex hydrides and by metals. 

Methylcryptaustoline iodide (14) was synthesized from phenylacetic acid 47 by Elliott (39) as shown in Scheme 7. Nitration of 47 to the 6-nitro compound 48 and reduction with sodium borohydride afforded lactone 49. Reduction of the aromatic nitro group with iron powder in acetic acid gave ami-nolactone 50, which was converted to tetracyclic lactam 51 with trifluoroacetic acid in dichloromethane. Reduction of the lactam by a borane-THF complex followed by treatment with methyl iodide afforded ( )-0-methylcryptaustoline iodide (14). 

An aldopentose (A) of the D-configuration on oxidation with concentrated nitric acid gives a 2,3,4-trihydroxypentanedioic acid (a trihydroxyglutaric acid) (B) which is optically inactive. (A) on addition of HCN, hydrolysis, lactonization, and reduction gives two stereoiso-meric aldohexoses (C) and (D). (D) on oxidation affords a 2,3,4,5-tetrahydroxy-hexanedioic acid (a saccharic acid) (E) which is optically inactive. Give structures of compounds (A)-(E). 

Reduction of ketopantoic acid to D-pantoic acid (0, (4) in Fig. 8). Agrobacterium sp. S-246 is a good source of ketopantoic acid reductase. The yield of D-pantoic acid reached 119 g/1 (molar yield, 90% optical purity, 98% e.e.) on incubation with washed cells of the bacterium [102]. From a practical point of view, ketopantoic acid reduction with Agrobacterium cells has several advantages over ketopantoyl lactone reduction with Candida (or Rhodotorula) cells. The former results in a higher product yield, molar conversion and optical purity of the product than the latter. It is necessary to maintain the substrate level at lower than 3% in the case of the ketopantolactone reduction, but not for the ketopantoic acid reduction. 

The second method of preparation (shown in Scheme 2) depends on treating dehydroepiandrosterone (prepared from cholestrol or sitosterol) with acetylene to form the 17a-ethnyl-17p-hydroxy derivative, which is carbonated to the 17a-propionic acid. Reduction of the unsaturated acid in alkaline solution yields the saturated acid, which cyclizes to the lactone on acidification. Bromination to the 5,6-dibromo-compound, followed by oxidation of the hydroxyl group to the ketone, and then dehydro-bromination to the 7a-hydroxyl derivative, produces spironolactone when esterified with thiolacetic acid. 

The key butenolide needed by Buszek, for his synthesis of (—)-octalactin A, had already been prepared by Godefroi and Chittenden and coworkers some years earlier (Scheme 13.4).9 Their pathway to 10 provides it in excellent overall yield, in three straightforward steps from l-ascorbic acid. The first step entails stereospecific hydrogenation of the double bond to obtain L-gulono-1,4-lactone 13. Reduction occurs exclusively from the sterically less-encumbered ot face of the alkene in this reaction. Tetraol 13 was then converted to the 2,6-dibromide 14 with HBr and acetic anhydride in acetic acid. Selective dehalogenation of 14 with sodium bisulfite finally procured 10. It is likely that the electron-withdrawing effect of the carbonyl in 14 preferentially weakens the adjacent C—Br bond, making this halide more susceptible to reductive elimination under these reaction conditions. 

The methine base obtained by Hofmann degradation of echitinolide methiodide, presumed earlier to be C23H32N2O4 but now shown to be C22H30N2O4, was formulated as XXXIX, and its zinc-hydrochloric acid reduction product as XL. Since the lactone ring in XL was unaffected... 

The resulting acetate 116 is formulated as the tawis-isomer, too. The carboxylic group was then converted by selective reduction with diborane to the alcohol 117. The alcohol function was converted to the nitrile 119 via the tosylate 118 and displacement of the tosylate group with sodium cyanide. Methanolysis led to the methylester 120 because the acetate moiety was not cleaved under these conditions (MeOH/HCl). Hydrolysis with base yielded the deprotected lactone acid alcohol 121, which was purified by converting it into the methylester 122. 

To demonstrate the versatility of his S3mthesis strategy Yamada used ketoester 151 as relais substance to S3mthesize two further picrotoxane alkaloids isolated from Dendrobium species, nobilonine (90) and 2-hydroxydendrobine (87) (Scheme 14) (84). Monobromination of 151 with bromine in dioxane and subsequent treatment with water resulted in hydroxy-y-lactam 152, whereas attempts to hydroxylate 151 by Barton oxidation led to rearrangements. Chemo- and stereoselective reduction with zinc borohydride converted 152 into the en fo-alcohol. To counterbalance the unfavorable conformational equilibrium this alcohol had to be converted into the alcoholate to achieve lactonization. Chemoselective reduction of the hydroxylac-tam moiety of lactone 153 again followed Borch s protocol, which led in this case to boron complexed amino compounds necessitating successive acid treatment to obtain racemic 2-hydroxydendrobine (87) in low yield accompanied by dendrobine (82). 2-Hydroxydendrobine (87) was converted into nobilonine (90) by Eschweiler-Clark methylation. 

Several other transannular lactonizations and reductions have been reported to proceed in high overall yields. Also other acid derivatives, such as amides and esters, cyclize to form lactones. Alkynoic acids have been lactonized to y-alkylidene-y-lactones in good yield, e.g. the conversion of (31) to (32 equation 29). Unfortunately the vinyl selenide product can isomerize from ( ) to (Z) in a secondary process. Analogous lactam formation is also known. Unsaturated amides, when cyclized with benzenese-lenenyl halides, produce good yields of lactams or iminolactones depending upon the alkene utilized. The amide (33) cyclizes to the iminolactone (34), producing a mixture of stereoisomers (65 35 Scheme 5). The amide (35) is cyclized to lactam (36) in moderate yield. 

Many of the methods listed for the preparation of hydroxy acids (Table 47) have been used to prepare lactones directly. Reduction of levulinic acid, CHjCOCHjCHjCOjH, by sodium and alcohol or by catalytic hydrogenation over Raney nickel leads to "y-valerolactone. S-Captolactone is prepared in a similar manner from y-acetobutytic acid. Other S-lactones have been formed by catalytic hydrogenation of the corresponding aldehydo... 

Although lactones may be reduced electrochemically or via Bouveault-Blanc reactions to produce diols, such reactions are more frequently used to prepare lactols. Both cathodic (Hg or Pb) and Na/Hg reduction are useful in the preparation of alditols from aldonic acid y-lactones. The reductions may be easily stopped at the intermediate aldose stage. ... 

The structure of ophiobolin A (5.137) was established by chemical degradation and by X-ray crystallography of a bromo derivative. The spectroscopic characteristics of ophiobolin A led to the identification of the oxygen functions and the double bonds. The relationship between the aldehyde and the cyclo-pentanone was revealed by the formation of a y-lactone on reduction and partial re-oxidation. A cyclic pyridazine was formed with hydrazine. Tetra-hydro-ophiobolin A formed an unusual cyclic peroxide involving these two groups. Vigorous oxidation of tetrahydro-ophiobolin A afforded a heptanoic acid lactone, which revealed the structure of the side-chain. 

---