4-Methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-naphthol

The starting materials required for preparing the 2,3-disubstituted tetrahydronaphthalenes were 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-naphthol (obtainable from tetrahydronaphthalene) and methyl 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoate, which was reduced to the known tetrahydro ester (Vc) and the latter saponified to the known tetrahydroacid. 

Phenolannelation. Methyl vinyl ketone (and substituted vinyl ketones) undergo Robinson annelation with the /(-keto sulfoxide (1) to afford the 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-naphthol (2) with loss of hcn/cnesnlfenic acid. Sodium methoxide is used as base, and the reaction proceeds at 0 - 25°. 

Phenol annelation.1 This modified methyl vinyl ketone can be used for synthesis of 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-naphthol or 5-indanol by reaction with the lithium enolate of cyclohexanone or cyclopentanone, respectively. The former reaction is formulated in equation (I). 

Ac = Acetyl acac = Acetylacetonate bda = Benzylidene-acetone BINOL = l,l -bi-2-naphthol Bn = Benzyl brsm = Yield based on recovered starting material Bu = Bntyl CAN = Ceric anunonium nitrate CBS = Corey/Bakshi/Shibata catalyst [(+) or (—)-(S)-2-methyl-oxazaborolidine] COD = Cyclo-l,5-octadiene COT = Cyclooctatetraene Cp = Cyclopentadienyl Cp = Penta-methylcyclopentadienyl Cy = Cyclohexyl DCC = Dicy-clohexylcarbodiimde DMF = Ai,A-dimethylformainide DMPU = l,3-dunethyl-3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2(lH)-pyrimidin-one DMSO = Dimethylsnlfoxide dppe = Diphenylphosp-hinoethane dr = Diastereomer ratio dppm = Diphenylphos-phinomethane E = Electrophile ee = Enantiomeric excess EHMO = Extended htickel molecular orbital Et =... 

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