Normal Diels-Alder Reactions. Synthesis of Pyrones and Thiopyrans

1 Normal Diels-Alder Reactions. Synthesis of Pyrones and Thiopyrans 

Dihydropyrans [71] and 4-dihydropyranones [72] have been prepared by BF3 or Me2AlCl catalyzed Diels-Alder reactions of alkyl and aryl aldehydes with dienes 72 and 73 (Equations 3.20 and 3.21). Allylic bis-silanes are useful building blocks for synthesizing molecules of biological interest [73], 4-Pyra-nones have been obtained by cerium ammonium nitrate (CAN) oxidation of the cycloadducts. 

The Diels Alder reaction of aldehydes 74 with dienes 75 in the presence of chiral acyloxyborane (CAB) catalysts 76 provides enantioselectively chiral 4-dihydropyranones (Equation 3.22) after CF3CO2H treatment of the cycloadducts [74]. 

The enantioselection depends greatly on the nature of the R2 group at the boron atom, and the ee values were as high as 97 %. High enantioselectivity was observed in the synthesis of 4-dihydropyranones, based on the Diels-Alder reactions of aldehydes 74 and Danishefsky s diene, catalyzed by a BINOL-Ti(0-i-Pr)4-derived catalyst [75] (Equation 3.23). 

The adduct derived from (a-benzyloxyacetaldehyde (97 % ee) is an important intermediate en route to compactin and mevinolin [76]. In contrast, modest enantioselectivity was attained when the cycloadditions were catalyzed by a chiral BINOL-ytterbium-derived catalyst [77]. Pyridines were used as additives, and the best enantioselection (93% ee) was attained only in the case of p-methoxybenzaldehyde using 2,6-lutidine. 

77efero-Diels-Alder reactions provide one of the most convenient tools for synthesizing heterocyclic compounds [69,70]. 

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