Nitrile oxides aldol” reduction-hydrolysis

Isoxazolines can be transformed into a,p-enones by several methods from the initial aldol product. This strategy was applied by Barco et al. (285) toward the synthesis of ( )-pyrenophorin (98), a macrocychc fow(enone-lactone) with antifungal properties. The hydroxy group was introduced from the nitrile oxide component (95), while the carboxy function was derived from the acrylate dipo-larophile. Thus, cycloaddition of the optically active nitropentyl acetate 94 to methyl acrylate 95 afforded isoxazoline 96 as a mixture of optically active diastereomers. Reductive hydrolysis using Raney nickel/acetic acid gave p-hydro-xyketone (97), which was subsequently utilized for the synthesis of (—)-pyreno-phorin (98) (Scheme 6.63) (285). 

Another related synthesis made use of the intramolecular cycloaddition of co-nitroalkene 243, also derived from geraniol epoxide 237. Generation of the expected nitrile oxide dipole using p-chlorophenyl isocyanate and triethylamine quantitatively gave the annulated isoxazoline 244 as a 2 1 mixture of diastereo-isomers (Scheme 6.94). Reductive hydrolysis of the cycloadduct to the aldol product followed by dehydration provided enone 245, which was used to prepare the sesquiterpene nanaimoal 246 (242). 

Aliphatic nitro compounds are versatile building blocks and intermediates in organic synthesis,14 15 cf. the overview given in the Organic Syntheses preparation of nitroacetaldehyde diethyl acetal.16 For example, Henry and Michael additions, respectively, lead to 1,2- and 1,4-difunctionalized derivatives.14 18 1,3-Difunctional compounds, such as amino alcohols or aldols are accessible from primary nitroalkanes by dehydration/1,3-dipolar nitrile oxide cycloaddition with olefins (Mukaiyama reaction),19 followed by ring cleavage of intermediate isoxazolines by reduction or reduction/hydrolysis.20 21... 

Sol 2. (b) It is an example of a widely used masked-aldol reaction. 1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile oxides with an alkene (or alkyne) gives a cyclic product, isoxazoline (or isoxazole). These cyclic compounds are readily cleaved by reduction of the N—O bond and subsequent hydrolysis of the resulting imine to give aldol-type p-hydroxycarbonyl (or Claisen-type P-dicarbonyl) products. 

---