Six-membered ring lactones

Coumarin (7.88) is a well-known 6-lactone (six-membered ring) of natural origin found in various preparations such as some tobaccos, alcoholic beverages, and cosmetics. Besides reactions of oxidation, reduction, and conjugation, coumarin is also subject to lactone hydration in vivo and in the presence of microsomes [170-174], The resulting metabolites include ortho-coumaric acid (7.89) formed directly from coumarin, 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-propionic acid (7.91) formed following reduction of coumarin to dihydrocou-... 

The carbonyl absorption of saturated 5-lactones (six-membered ring) occurs in the same region as straight-chain, unconjugated esters. Unsaturation a to the C=0... 

Lactones with unstrained six-membered rings are similar to noncyclic esters. As the ring becomes smaller the C—C—O angle decreases and the frequency of the carbonyl stretching vibration increases. Saturated 5-lactones (six-membered ring) have a carbonyl band at 1750-1735 cm"L Saturated... 

No 0-allylation is observed in formation of the six-membered ring compound 79 by intramolecular allylation of the /3-keto ester 78(15,57]. Intramolecular allylation is useful for lactone fonnation. On the other hand, exclusive formation of the eight-membered ring lactone 81 from 80 may be in part derived from the preference for the nucleophile to attack the less substituted terminus of the allyl system[58]. 

The reaction of vinyloxiranes with malonate proceeds regio- and stereose-lectively. The reaction has been utilized for the introduction of a 15-hydroxy group in a steroid related to oogoniol (265)(156]. The oxirane 264 is the J-form and the attack of Pd(0) takes place from the o-side by inversion. Then the nucleophile comes from the /i-side. Thus overall reaction is sT -StM2 type, in the intramolecular reaction, the stereochemical information is transmitted to the newly formed stereogenic center. Thus the formation of the six-membered ring lactone 267 from 266 proceeded with overall retention of the stereochemistry, and was employed to control the stereochemistry of C-15 in the prostaglandin 268[157]. The method has also been employed to create the butenolide... 

Reactions that are expected to produce hydroxy acids often yield the derived lactones instead if a five- or six-membered ring can be formed. 

Reactions of vinylogous amides with methanesulfonyl chloride also led to the formation of six-membered rings. Here the initial attack on oxygen produces a zwitterionic intermediate which can collapse to an enol sulfonic acid lactone (383,469). 

Since five-membered rings are formed faster than four or six-membered rings, an otherwise electronically Symmetrical double bond (35) or (36) will be captured intramolecularly to give a y-lactone (37) in acid. 

Some representative Claisen rearrangements are shown in Scheme 6.14. Entry 1 illustrates the application of the Claisen rearrangement in the introduction of a substituent at the junction of two six-membered rings. Introduction of a substituent at this type of position is frequently necessary in the synthesis of steroids and terpenes. In Entry 2, formation and rearrangement of a 2-propenyl ether leads to formation of a methyl ketone. Entry 3 illustrates the use of 3-methoxyisoprene to form the allylic ether. The rearrangement of this type of ether leads to introduction of isoprene structural units into the reaction product. Entry 4 involves an allylic ether prepared by O-alkylation of a (3-keto enolate. Entry 5 was used in the course of synthesis of a diterpene lactone. Entry 6 is a case in which PdCl2 catalyzes both the formation and rearrangement of the reactant. 

The process of lactonization and enolization of 2-keto esters under the influence of alkaline reagents has also been applied to the production of analogs of L-ascorbic acid containing a six-membered ring structure.22 For example, methyl 3,4,6-trimethyl-2-keto-D-gluconate (XLI) is treated... 

Pentalenolactone E methyl ester (46), an angularly fused sesquiterpene lactone, was first isolated and characterized by Cane and Rossi [38]. One approach to the synthesis of this material is illustrated in Scheme 5. Key to the successful implementation of the plan is the synthesis of butenolide 49, the electrochemi-cally promoted cyclization of 49 to the tricyclic y-lactone 48, ring opening of the latter to convert the linearly fused system to the angularly fused six-membered ring lactone 47, and functional group elaboration leading to the natural product 46 [36,37]. 

We were interested in applications of the high level of stereocontrol associated with the asymmetric Birch reduction-alkylation to problems in acyclic and heterocyclic synthesis. The pivotal disconnection of the six-membered ring is accomplished by utilization of the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation (Scheme 7). Treatment of cyclohexanones 25a and 25b with MCPBA gave caprolactone amides 26a and 26b with complete regiocon-trol. Acid-catalyzed transacylation gave the butyrolactone carboxylic acid 27 from 26a and the bis-lactone 28 from 26b cyclohexanones 31a and 31b afforded the diastereomeric lactones 29 and 30. ... 

In similar syntheses, 2,2-disubstituted vinyl derivatives (e.g., 45) were transformed to indolo- (46) and indolizinotropones (300) [Scheme 12 84H(22)791]. Five- and six-membered-ring lactones (e.g., 42b) and equiva-... 

Lactonization, like esterification, is an equilibrium process. y-Lactones and 8-lactones are so readily formed that the carboxylic acid itself can provide the required acidic catalyst, and substantial amounts of the lactone are typically present in solutions of 4- or 5-hydroxy acids respectively (Table 7.3). Interestingly, the proportion of lactone is usually higher for five-membered rings than for six-membered rings. 

We observed that cyclic esters (lactones) may be formed when the carboxyl electrophile and hydroxyl nucleophile are in the same molecule (see Section 7.9.1). Similarly, cyclic amides are produced when carboxyl and amine groups are in the same molecule, and are again most favoured when this results in the generation of strain-free five- or six-membered rings. Cyclic esters are termed lactones, whereas cyclic amides are in turn called lactams. The nomenclature of lactams is similar... 

Common substructural motifs in polyketide natural products are six-membered ring lactones, lactols, and tetrahydropyrans. It was recognized by Wuts and co-workers that hydroformylation of readily available homoaUyhc alcohols would provide a direct and efficient entry into these ring systems. Such an approach was employed in a synthesis of Prelog-Djerassi lactone (Scheme 5.11) [13]. 

Coumarin. The coumarin moiety is found in a number of important drugs. This is a bicyclic heterocycle containing two six-membered rings and two oxygens, one endo-cyclic, one exocyclic. Since the coumarin contains an intramolecular lactone ester, it undergoes hydrolysis to yield a carboxylic acid and a phenol. 

Lactones are cyclic esters derived from lactic acid (CsHeOs). They are constituents of many essential oils and plant volatiles. They contain a heterocyclic oxygen next to a carbonyl function in a five or more membered ring that is saturated or unsaturated. Those with a five-membered ring are called y-lactones, e.g. y-angel-ica lactone 148, whereas compounds containing a six-membered ring are called (5-lactones, e.g. (5-valerolactone 149 (Structure 4.45) [1-4, 6, 9, 22, 23,29, 62]. 

Reactions of hydroxycarboxylic acids, HO(CHj) COOH, also depend on value of n. In acid solutions, y-hydroxycarboxylic acid (n = 3) and 8-hydroxycarboxylic acid (n = 4) form cyclic esters (lactones) with, respectively, five-membered and six-membered rings. 

Cyclohexane oxide (Eq. 889) and certain methyl-substituted derivatives have been condensed successfully with diethyl Sodio-malonate,321 107a-1SW-1241 ethyl eodioaoetoaoetate,M< and ethyl eodio-cyanoaoefcate Lactone rings aw generated in all cases, since transfused six-membered rings are stable. 

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