Lactones carbon-iodine bond formation

As inert as the C-25 lactone carbonyl has been during the course of this synthesis, it can serve the role of electrophile in a reaction with a nucleophile. For example, addition of benzyloxymethyl-lithium29 to a cold (-78 °C) solution of 41 in THF, followed by treatment of the intermediate hemiketal with methyl orthoformate under acidic conditions, provides intermediate 42 in 80% overall yield. Reduction of the carbon-bromine bond in 42 with concomitant -elimination of the C-9 ether oxygen is achieved with Zn-Cu couple and sodium iodide at 60 °C in DMF. Under these reaction conditions, it is conceivable that the bromine substituent in 42 is replaced by iodine, after which event reductive elimination occurs. Silylation of the newly formed tertiary hydroxyl group at C-12 with triethylsilyl perchlorate, followed by oxidative cleavage of the olefin with ozone, results in the formation of key intermediate 3 in 85 % yield from 42. 

Cyclopentene derivatives with carboxylic acid side-chains can be stereoselectively hydroxy-lated by the iodolactonization procedure (E.J. Corey, 1969, 1970). To the trisubstituted cyclopentene described on p. 210 a large iodine cation is added stereoselectively to the less hindered -side of the 9,10 double bond. Lactone formation occurs on the intermediate iod-onium ion specifically at C-9ot. Later the iodine is reductively removed with tri-n-butyltin hydride. The cyclopentane ring now bears all oxygen and carbon substituents in the right stereochemistry, and the carbon chains can be built starting from the C-8 and C-12 substit""" ... 

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