Macrocyclic acetals 408 Subject

Ireland utilized a sulfide ring contraction process for the ring-forming step of his synthesis of 47 (see Scheme 1.16) The diethyl acetal of 5-hydroxyhexanal (73) was converted to the trichloroethyl carbonate and the acetal hydrolized to produce aldehyde 74 in 86% yield. Addition of the zinc enolate of N,N-dimethylethanethioamide (75) to 74 then afforded an intennediate hydroxy thioamide which was subjected to acylation and reductive carbonate cleavage to yield 76 (53%). Acylation with chloroacetyl chloride was followed by ring closure to give the macrocycle 77 (24%). 

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