Oxidation lead tetraacetate, enol acetate

Lead tetraacetate was employed by Stoodley and coworkers for an oxidative isomerization in their synthesis of 4-demethoxydaunomycinone (47). The diene (48) reacted with the oxirane dienophile (49) via the least hindered endo transition state to give the cycloadduct (50) in 86% yield. Hydrolysis of the silyl enol ether followed by reduction of the oxirane and introduction of the acetylene moiety gave the compound (51), which was oxidatively isomerized with LTA in acetic acid to give the quinone (52). All that remained now to complete the synthesis was conversion of the acetylene to a methyl ketone and dealkylation of the ether, llie last two steps were accomplished in an over l yield of 38%, the low yield attributable to problems in formation of the hydroxy group from the ether (Scheme 11). Bulman-Page and Ley employed LTA for a similar transformation in their synthesis of demethoxydaunomycinone and related anthracyclinones. 

The enol-lactam (30), which has occupied a central role in the synthesis of Erythrina alkaloids, has been converted in an unprecedented reaction into the dimeric isomers [31 C(6)-a-0] and [31 C(6)-/ -OJ.15 This reaction may be effected in benzene, pyridine, or acetic acid solution in the presence of lead tetra-acetate. The structures of the products were elucidated by spectral and chemical means. As enol ethers, these compounds were found to exhibit surprising stability to mineral acids. However, catalytic reduction of [31 C(6)-a-OJ under neutral conditions gave the starting enol-lactam (30) and the 7/Miydroxylactam (32 RJ = OH, R2 = R3 = H). The dimer [3 l C(6)-/i-0] yielded only compound (32 R1 = OH, R2 = R3 = H). Similarly, sodium borohydride reduction of the dimer mixture in hot isopropanol led to cleavage products (32 R1 = OH, R2 = R3 = H)and(32 RJ = R3 = H, R2 = OH). Besides the dimeric products, compound (32 R1 + R2 = O, R3 = OAc) was also isolated from the lead tetraacetate oxidation in low yields. Attempts to discover conditions for the formation of preparative amounts of (32 R1 + R2 = O, R3 = OAc), a compound of more potential usefulness for alkaloid synthesis, were fruitless. The other question of interest, whether or not the trans-dimer [31 C(6)-/i-0] could be converted into a monomeric trans-erythrinane system, remains to be answered. 

As a matter of convenience, the results of oxidation of longifolene with lead tetraacetate, and ruthenium tetraoxide will also be summarized here steric diversion may have little role in forming the products of these reactions. One of the important reactions of lead tetraacetate with olefins is allylic substitution/rearrangement (J02). Since, this pathway is blocked for longifolene, the major product of this reaction is the ring-expanded enol acetate (154) (Chart 17), exactly parallel to what happens with camphene (8J, 99). 

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