Synthesis multistep

To prepare yourself for solving multistep syntheses, you need to learn how to think in more than one move. If you carefully review your list of reactions, you will find that the products of some reactions are the starting material for other reactions. For example, you will find that some reactions are used to form double bonds, and other reactions add reagents across double bonds. So if you pair up all of the possibilities, you will create a list of many two-step syntheses. By studying these two-step possibilities, you will begin to get familiar with seeing syntheses that are more than one step. 

Let s see an example of what we mean. Below is one reaction that forms a double bond. It starts with an alkyne, and you will certainly learn this reaction at some point  

Now consider one of the reactions where reagents react with a double bond  

If we put these tw o reactions together into a two-step synthesis, we get the following  

In chess, you cannot possibly memorize every possible orientation of all of the pieces and then memorize the best move for each of those possibilities. There are too many permutations. Instead, you learn how to analyze each situation and as time goes 

If you cover more than 30 reactions and need more space to continue, then you can just use a regular piece of paper to keep your list going. 

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In pharmaceutical appHcations, the selectivity of sodium borohydride is ideally suited for conversion of high value iatermediates, such as steroids (qv), ia multistep syntheses. It is used ia the manufacture of a broad spectmm of products such as analgesics, antiarthritics, antibiotics (qv), prostaglandins (qv), and central nervous system suppressants. Typical examples of commercial aldehyde reductions are found ia the manufacture of vitamin A (29) (see Vitamins) and dihydrostreptomycia (30). An acyl azide is reduced ia the synthesis of the antibiotic chloramphenicol (31) and a carbon—carbon double bond is reduced ia an iatermediate ia the manufacture of the analgesic Talwia (32). 

These appHcations are mosdy examples of homogeneous catalysis. Coordination catalysts that are attached to polymers via phosphine, siloxy, or other side chains have also shown promise. The catalytic specificity is often modified by such immobilization. Metal enzymes are, from this point of view, anchored coordination catalysts immobilized by the protein chains. Even multistep syntheses are possible using alternating catalysts along polymer chains. Other polynuclear coordination species, such as the homopoly and heteropoly ions, also have appHcations in reaction catalysis. 

Part Two, a collection of multistep syntheses accomplished over a period of more than three decades by the Corey group, provides much integrated information on synthetic methods and pathways for the construction of interesting target molecules. These syntheses are the result of synthetic planning which was based on the general principles summarized in Part One. Thus, Part Two serves to supplement Part One with emphasis on the methods and reactions of synthesis and also on specific examples of retrosynthetically planned syntheses. 

Part Three is intended to balance the coverage of Parts One and Two and to serve as a convenient guide to the now enormous literature of multistep synthesis. Information on more than five hundred interesting multistep syntheses of biologically derived molecules is included. It is hoped that the structural range and variety of target molecules presented in Part Three will appeal to many chemists. 

The number of experiments that can be done satisfactorily in a one-semester course varies widely with the physical situation and the individual skills of the student. Therefore, no attempt is made to suggest a schedule. I recommend, however, that a common core of about five experiments be assigned. The remainder of the preparations can then be chosen by individual students as dictated by their interests as well as by the availability of chemicals and special equipment. The common experiments, representing frequently used and important techniques, might be chosen from Chapter 1, Sections I and IV Chapter 2, Section I Chapter 3, Section I Chapter 4, Section I Chapter 5, Section I Chapter 6, Sections III and IV Chapter 7, Sections II and VI Chapter 8, Section II Chapter 9, Sections I and II Chapter 11, Sections I and III or Chapter 13, Section II, Since many of the other experiments draw on the products of this suggested list, the possibility of multistep syntheses also presents itself, and several such sequences are outlined in Appendix 1. Also included, in Appendix 2, are the commercial suppliers of the chemicals required when these chemicals are not routinely available. 

In all cases, besides resulting in good to excellent yields, the microwave-assisted multistep syntheses resulted in much faster reactions compared to earlier published procedures at atmospheric pressure under conventional heating conditions. It is also noteworthy that in some cases the strong thermal effect due to graphite/microwave interaction, can efficiently be used for the synthesis of heterocyclic skeletons, especially benzothiazoles but, in fact, there is no general rule and some reactions performed in the presence of solvent may sometimes be more convenient than the same dry-media conditions. 

Application of an aldolase to the synthesis of the tricyclic microbial elicitor (-)-syringolide (Figure 10.34) is another excellent example that enzyme-catalyzed aldolizations can be used to generate sufficient quantities of enantiopure material in multistep syntheses of complex natural and unnatural products [159]. Remarkably, the aldolase reaction established absolute and relative configuration of the only chiral centers that needed to be externally induced in the adduct (95) from achiral precursor (94) during the subsequent cyclization events, all others seemed to follow by kinetic preference. 

As we mentioned earlier, one-step syntheses are the first synthesis problems you will encounter. They will never be more difficult than predicting products. Before you can move on to multistep syntheses, you first need to feel comfortable with one-step syntheses. 

There have been many applications of the Wittig reaction in multistep syntheses. The reaction can be used to prepare extended conjugated systems, such as crocetin dimethyl ester, which has seven conjugated double bonds. In this case, two cycles of Wittig reactions using stabilized ylides provided the seven double bonds. Note the use of a conjugated stabilized ylide in the second step.250... 

Entries 15 to 18 are examples of use of iodocyclization in multistep syntheses. In Entry 15, iodolactonization was followed by elimination of HI from the bicyclic lactone. In Entry 16, a cyclic peroxide group remained unaffected by the standard iodolactonization and subsequent Bu3SnH reductive deiodination. (See Section 5.5 for... 

Cyclization induced by mercuric ion is often used in multistep syntheses to form five- and six-membered hetereocyclic rings, as illustrated in Scheme 4.6. The reactions in Entries 1 to 3 involve acyclic reactants that cyclize to give exo-5 products. Entry 4 is an exo-6 cyclization. In Entries 1 and 2, the mercury is removed reductively, but in Entries 3 and 4 a hydroxy group is introduced in the presence of oxygen. Inclusion of triethylboron in the reduction has been found to improve yields (Entry l).113... 

Entries 10 to 15 involve use of the Ireland-Claisen rearrangement in multistep syntheses. An interesting feature of Entry 11 is the presence of an unprotected ketone. The reaction was done by adding LDA to the ester, which was premixed with TMS-C1 and Et3N. The reaction generates the T-silyl ketene acetal, which rearranges through a chair TS. 

This reagent has been used in multistep syntheses to convert a tetrahydrofuran ring into a y-lactone. 

Osmium tetroxide used in combination with sodium periodate can also effect alkene cleavage.191 Successful oxidative cleavage of double bonds using ruthenium tetroxide and sodium periodate has also been reported.192 In these procedures the osmium or ruthenium can be used in substoichiometric amounts because the periodate reoxidizes the metal to the tetroxide state. Entries 1 to 4 in Scheme 12.18 are examples of these procedures. Entries 5 and 6 show reactions carried out in the course of multistep syntheses. The reaction in Entry 5 followed a 5-exo radical cyclization and served to excise an extraneous carbon. The reaction in Entry 6 followed introduction of the allyl group by enolate alkylation. The aldehyde group in the product was used to introduce an amino group by reductive alkylation (see Section 5.3.1.2). 

Dithianes have found considerable application in multistep syntheses.12... 

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