Lactonization/benzylic alcohols

It is important to note that the one-step conversion of 27 to 28 (Scheme 4) not only facilitates purification, but also allows differentiation of the two carbonyl groups. After hydrogenolysis of the iV-benzyl group (see 28—>29), solvolysis of the -lactone-ring in 29 with benzyl alcohol and a catalytic amount of acetic acid at 70 °C provides a 3 1 equilibrium mixture of acyclic ester 30 and starting lactone 29. Compound 30 can be obtained in pure form simply by washing the solid mixture with isopropanol the material in the filtrate can be resubjected to the solvolysis reaction. 

Allyl silanes react with epoxides, in the presence of Bp3-OEt2 to give 2-allyl alcohols. The reaction of a-bromo lactones and CH2=CHCH2Si SiMe3)3 and AIBN leads to the a-allyl lactone. " Benzyl silanes coupled with allyl silanes to give ArCH2—R derivatives in the presence of VO(OEt)Cl2 " and allyltin compounds couple with allyl silanes in the presence of SnCU. " Allyl silanes couple to the a-carbon of amines under photolysis conditions. ... 

Secondary alcohols such as cyclohexanol or 2-butanol also react on heating for 20-120 min at 80 °C with TCS 14 in the presence of BiCl3 to give the chloro compounds cyclohexyl chloride 784 and 2-chlorobutane in 93 and 90% yield, respectively, HCl, and HMDSO 7 [11, 12]. Benzyl alcohol is transformed likewise by Me3SiCl 14 after 120 min. at 80 °C into benzyl chloride in quantitative yield. Analogously, esters such as 2-acetoxypropane 785 are also converted by TCS 14 in 100% yield into chloro compounds such as 786 and trimethylsilyl acetate 142. The yS-lactone 787 gives rise to 788... 

The reaction of lactones of benzyl alcohols with Et3SiH/TFA results in complete reduction of the alcohol part of the lactone to the methylene group while preserving the carboxylate function (Eq. 148).305... 

The naphthalene-catalyzed (2.5%) lithiation of phthalan 330 (or its substituted derivatives ) in THF at room temperature allowed the preparation of the functionalized benzyllithium intermediate 331, which reacted with electrophiles at —78°C to give, after hydrolysis, the corresponding functionalized benzyl alcohols 332 (Scheme 97). When carbon dioxide was used as the electrophilic reagent, the corresponding 5-lactone was directly obtained . When carbonyl compounds were used as electrophiles, the cyclization of the resulting products 332 under acidic conditions (85% H3PO4) allows the synthesis of substituted isochromans. 

Tertiary benzylic nitriles are useful synthetic intermediates, and have been used for the preparation of amidines, lactones, primary amines, pyridines, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, and esters. The general synthetic pathway to this class of compounds relies on the displacement of an activated benzylic alcohol or benzylic halide with a cyanide source followed by double alkylation under basic conditions. For instance, 2-(2-methoxyphenyl)-2-methylpropionitrile has been prepared by methylation of (2-methoxyphenyl)acetonitrile using sodium amide and iodomethane. In the course of the preparation of a drug candidate, the submitters discovered that the nucleophilic aromatic substitution of aryl fluorides with the anion of a secondary nitrile is an effective method for the preparation of these compounds. The reaction was studied using isobutyronitrile and 2-fluoroanisole. The submitters first showed that KHMDS was the superior base for the process when carried out in either THF or toluene (Table I). For example, they found that the preparation of 2-(2-methoxyphenyl)-2-methylpropionitrile could be accomplished h... 

Typical examples are listed in Table 2.1. A few oxidations are effected by RuO but in general it is too powerful an oxidant for this purpose. The system RuCyaq. NaCl-CCy Pt anode oxidised benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde and benzoic acid and p-anisaldehyde to p-anisic acid [24], and a wide range of primary alcohols and aldehydes were converted to carboxylic acids, secondary alcohols to ketones, l, -diols to lactones and keto acids from RuOj/aq. NaCl pH 4/Na(H3PO )/Pt electrodes (Tables 2.1-2.4). The system [RuO ] "/aq. K3(S303)/Adogen /CH3Cl3 oxidised benzyhc alcohols to aldehydes [30]. The oxidation catalyst TPAP (( Pr N)[RuO ]) (cf. 1.3.4) is extremely useful as an oxidant of primary alcohols to aldehydes and secondary alcohols to ketones without... 

Primary and secondary alcohols are quantitatively oxidized by peroxydisulfate to the corresponding aldehydes and ketones. Thus benzyl alcohols give aldehydes, and in the presence of Ni(II) and ammonia they gives nitriles secondary alcohols give the corresponding ketones . Interestingly, isopropylbenzene reacts with acetates in the presence of peroxy disulfate/Fe(II) to give lactones (equation 18). ... 

Oxone has been successfully used in aprotic solvents for oxidation reactions by dispersing it on an alumina surface. Thus, the oxidation of secondary aliphatic, alicyclic and benzylic alcohols using Oxone/wet alumina oxide in CH2CI2 or CH3CN afforded ketones in good to excellent yields (70-96%). Similarly, the conversion of cycloalkanones to lactones is also reported. 

BaMnC>4 is particularly well-suited for the transformation of bis-benzylic alcohols into o-bisformyl aromatic compounds without the generation of substantial quantities of lactone.78... 

The diversity of the products obtained by the three-component domino-Knoevenagel-hetero-Diels-Alder reaction can be further increased by a different work-up of the formed cycloadduct 141. Thus, hydrogenolytic removal of the Cbz-group in 141 led to 151 with a lactam and an aldehyde moiety by reaction of the formed secondary amine with the lactone moiety followed by elimination of benzyl alcohol. Reduction of 151 with lithium aluminum hydride gave benzoquinolizidine 152 (Scheme 5.30). Alkaloids of this type have so far not been found in nature, but it can be assumed that they might exist, since they could easily be formed from deacetylisopecoside 153, which is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of emetine 111. 

While diketene remains a very important synthetic precursor, there has been increasing interest in the chemistry of a-methylene-/3-lactones, 3-methylene-2-oxetanones. However, unlike diketene, which can be readily synthesized by the dimerization of aldehydic ketenes, there are few methods for the synthesis of a-methylene-/3-lactones in the literature. Recent strategies for the preparation of the compounds are discussed in Section 2.05.9.2. The kinetic resolution of racemates of alkyl-substituted a-methylene-/3-lactones has been carried out via a lipase-catalyzed transesterification reaction with benzyl alcohol (Equation 21) <1997TA833>. The most efficient lipase tested for this reaction was CAL-B (from Candida antarctica), which selectively transesterifies the (A)-lactone. At 51% conversion, the (R)-f3-lactone, (R)-74, and (A)-/3-hydroxy ester, (S)-75, were formed in very high enantio-selectivities (up to 99% ee). 

Trichloro(methyl)silane-Sodium iodide, 11, 553-554. This in situ equivalent of io-dotrimethylsilane is also effective for cleavage of esters and lactones, selective conversion of tertiary and benzylic alcohols into iodides, dehalogenation of a-halo ketones, deoxygenation of sulfoxides, and conversion of dimethyl acetals to carbonyl compounds.1... 

The reaction of jS-lactones 128 with DBU in chloroform at 0-20°C gave arenes 129 in high yields, but ) -lactone 130 afforded benzyl alcohol in low yield under similar conditions (76TL4435). In the latter case, the N-acylation... 

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