Methyl ethers, oxidative cleavage

Oxidation of the alkaloid Glaucin (136) resulted in the formation of a yellow alkaloid 137, which seemingly is contained in Glaucium flavum var. vestitum (Scheme 48). Addition of methyl iodide converted this compound via a methylation/ether cleavage sequence into Corunnine (127) and small amounts of Pontevedrine (138) which is not a mesomeric betaine (71TL3093). 

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. 

CHROMIUM TRIOXIDE-PYRIDINE COMPLEX, preparation in situ, 55, 84 Chrysene, 58,15, 16 fzans-Cinnamaldehyde, 57, 85 Cinnamaldehyde dimethylacetal, 57, 84 Cinnamyl alcohol, 56,105 58, 9 2-Cinnamylthio-2-thiazoline, 56, 82 Citric acid, 58,43 Citronellal, 58, 107, 112 Cleavage of methyl ethers with iodotri-methylsilane, 59, 35 Cobalt(II) acetylacetonate, 57, 13 Conjugate addition of aryl aldehydes, 59, 53 Copper (I) bromide, 58, 52, 54, 56 59,123 COPPER CATALYZED ARYLATION OF /3-DlCARBONYL COMPOUNDS, 58, 52 Copper (I) chloride, 57, 34 Copper (II) chloride, 56, 10 Copper(I) iodide, 55, 105, 123, 124 Copper(I) oxide, 59, 206 Copper(ll) oxide, 56, 10 Copper salts of carboxylic acids, 59, 127 Copper(l) thiophenoxide, 55, 123 59, 210 Copper(l) trifluoromethanesulfonate, 59, 202... 

The synthesis in Scheme 13.41 is also built on the desymmetrization concept but uses a very different intermediate. cA-5,7-Dimethylcycloheptadiene was acetoxylated with Pd(OAc)2 and the resulting all-cA-diacetate intermediate was enantioselectively hydrolyzed with a lipase to give a monoacetate that was protected as the TBDMS ether. An anti Sw2 displacement by dimethyl cuprate established the correct configuration of the C(2) methyl substituent. Oxidative ring cleavage and lactonization gave the final product. 

Another photocyclization to a benzo[c]phenanthridine was reported (127). Oppenauer oxidation of ( )-ophiocarpine (92) with potassium fm-butoxide and benzophenone in dioxane effected C-6—N bond cleavage to afford the hydroxyisoquinoline 219 via berberinephenolbetaine (121) (Scheme 39). Although photolysis of 219 gave only the oxepine 221, that of its methyl ether 220 furnished directly norchelerythrine (222) through electrocyclization followed by spontaneous elimination of methanol. 

Cryptopine-type indole alkaloid bumamicine (572) has been synthesized from geissoschizine methyl ether (31) (287). In the first step, geissoschizol (34) was prepared, and then cleavage of the C/D ring fusion was carried out by means of ethyl chloroformate. Finally, C-3 carbonyl and 7V-methyl groups were developed by simple oxidation, reduction, and repeated oxidation steps. 

Oxidation of 48 using manganese dioxide in methanol in the presence of potassium cyanide provides clausine H (clauszoline-C) (50) quantitatively, which on ester cleavage affords clausine K (clauszoline-J) (51). Cleavage of both methyl ethers of 51 on treatment with boron tribromide led to clausine O (72) (588). 

In addition to the aforementioned syntheses of various carbazole-l,4-quinone alkaloids, many formal syntheses for this class of carbazole alkaloids were also reported. These syntheses involve the oxidation of the appropriate 1- or 4-oxygenated-3-methylcarbazoles using Fremy s salt (potassium nitrosodisulfonate), or PCC (pyridinium chlorochromate), or Phl(OCCXI F3)2 [bis(trifluoroacetoxy)iodo]-benzene. Our iron-mediated formal synthesis of murrayaquinone A (107) was achieved starting from murrayafoline A (7) (see Scheme 5.34). Cleavage of the methyl ether in murrayafoline A (7) and subsequent oxidation of the resulting intermediate hydroxycarbazole with Fremy s salt provided murrayaquinone A (107) (574,632) (Scheme 5.113). 

The relay compound 1025 required for the synthesis of all of these 7-oxygenated carbazole alkaloids was obtained starting from commercially available 4-bromo-toluene (1023) and m-anisidine (840) in two steps and 72% overall yield. Buchwald-Hartwig amination of 4-bromotoluene (1023) with m-anisidine (840) furnished quantitatively the corresponding diarylamine 1024. Oxidative cyclization of 1024 using catalytic amounts of palladium(ll) acetate afforded 3-methyl-7-methoxycarbazole (1025). Oxidation of 1025 with DDQ led to clauszoline-K (98), which, on cleavage of the methyl ether using boron tribromide, afforded 3-formyl-7-hydroxycarbazole (99) (546) (Scheme 5.149). 

Oxidation of 3-formyl-6-methoxycarbazole (97) with manganese dioxide and potassium cyanide in methanol afforded methyl 6-methoxycarbazole-3-carboxylate (104). Regioselective bromination of 97 afforded the 5-bromocarbazole 1031. Cleavage of the methyl ether to 1032, followed by nickel-mediated prenylation, provided micromeline (100) (547) (Scheme 5.154). 

An enantioselective synthesis of (+)-estradiol has been accomplished from 1,3-dihy-drobenzo[c]thiophene 2,2-dioxide (306) by successive thermal S02-extrusion and cycloaddition (80HCA1703). Treatment of the optically active iodide (307) with two mole equivalents of the masked quinodimethane (306) in the presence of two mole equivalents of sodium hydride gave (308) as a 1 1 mixture of diastereoisomers. Thermolysis of this alkenic sulfone in 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene furnished the trans-anti-trans steroid (309) in 80% yield. Treatment of (309) with methyllithium gave the methyl ketone, which was subjected to a Baeyer-Villiger oxidation and then silyl ether-acetate cleavage to afford (-l-)-estradiol (310 Scheme 66). 

Stable nitronium (N02+) salts, particularly with PFfi and Bl, counterions, can act as mild, selective oxidative cleavage reagents for a wide variety of functional groups.497 99 Examples such as the oxidation of methyl ethers [Eq. (5.187)], oximes [Eq. (5.188)], dimethylhydrazones [Eq. (5.189)], and thioacetals [Eq. (5.190)] illustrate the utility of these methods. 

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