Primary alcohol synthesis

Primary alcohols (a) D. H. R. Barton, W. B. Motherwell, and A. Stange, Radical-induced deoxygenation of primary alcohols, Synthesis, p. 743 (1981) (b) D. H. R. Barton, P. Blundell, J. Dorchak, D. O. Jang, and J. C. Jaszberenyi, The invention of radical reactions. Part XXI. Simple methods for the radical deoxygenation of primary alcohols, Tetrahedron 47 8969 (1991). 

Decarboxylation reactions have also been invoked in the synthesis of two other wax lipids, the 3-diketones and esterified alkan-2-Ols (Fig. 1). Their synthesis as that of the primary alcohols is not inhibited by dithio-threitol . Thus we have the interesting possibility that if a decarbonylase reaction is involved as in alkane synthesis, the required acyl-CoA reductase must be insensitive to dithiothreitol as is that in primary alcohol synthesis. On the other hand, perhaps true decarboxylations take place... 

The slow oxidation of primary alcohols, particularly MeOH, is utilized for the oxidation of allylic or secondary alcohols with allyl methyl carbonate without forming carbonates of the alcohols to be oxidized. Allyl methyl carbonate (564) forms 7r-allylpalladium methoxide, then exchange of the methoxide with a secondary or allylic alcohol 563 present in the reaction medium takes place to form the 7r-allylpalladium alkoxide 565, which undergoes elimination of j3-hydrogen to give the ketone or aldehyde 566. The lactol 567 was oxidized selectively with diallyl carbonate to the lactone 568 without attacking the secondary alcohol in the synthesis of echinosporin[360]. 

Alcohol synthesis via the reaction of Grignard reagents with carbonyl com pounds (Section 14 6) This is one of the most useful reactions in synthetic organ ic chemistry Grignard reagents react with formaldehyde to yield primary alco hols with aldehydes to give secondary alcohols and with ketones to form terti ary alcohols... 

When applied to the synthesis of ethers the reaction is effective only with primary alcohols Elimination to form alkenes predominates with secondary and tertiary alcohols Diethyl ether is prepared on an industrial scale by heating ethanol with sulfuric acid at 140°C At higher temperatures elimination predominates and ethylene is the major product A mechanism for the formation of diethyl ether is outlined m Figure 15 3 The individual steps of this mechanism are analogous to those seen earlier Nucleophilic attack on a protonated alcohol was encountered m the reaction of primary alcohols with hydrogen halides (Section 4 12) and the nucleophilic properties of alcohols were dis cussed m the context of solvolysis reactions (Section 8 7) Both the first and the last steps are proton transfer reactions between oxygens... 

Hydroxypyrroles. Pyrroles with nitrogen-substituted side chains containing hydroxyl groups are best prepared by the Paal-Knorr cyclization. Pyrroles with hydroxyl groups on carbon side chains can be made by reduction of the appropriate carbonyl compound with hydrides, by Grignard synthesis, or by iasertion of ethylene oxide or formaldehyde. For example, pyrrole plus formaldehyde gives 2-hydroxymethylpyrrole [27472-36-2] (24). The hydroxymethylpyrroles do not act as normal primary alcohols because of resonance stabilization of carbonium ions formed by loss of water. 

Synthesis. Titanium alkoxy halides are intermediates in the preparation of alkoxides from a titanium tetrahaUde (except the fluoride) and an alcohol or phenol. If TiCl is heated with excess primary alcohol, only two chlorine atoms can be replaced and the product is dialkoxydichlorotitanium alcoholate, (RO)2TiCl2 ROH. The yields are poor, and some alcohols, such as aHyl, ben2yl, and /-butyl alcohols, are converted to chlorides (46). Using excess TiCl at 0°C, the trichloride ROTiCl is obtained nearly quantitatively, even from sec- and / f/-alcohols (47,48). 

When applied to the synthesis of ethers, the reaction is effective only with primary alcohols. Elimination to form alkenes predominates with secondary and tertiary alcohols. 

The sluggishness of the reaction of TIPSOTf with tertiary alcohols can be exploited to advantage, as was the case in Magnus synthesis of strychnine. The equilibrium favors the tertiary hemiketal, but silylation favors the primary alcohol. 

Alcohols are among the most versatile of all organic compounds. They occur widely in nature, are important industrial 7, and have an unusually rich chemistry. The most widely used methods of alcohol synthesis start with carbonyl compounds. Aldehydes, ketones, esters, and carboxylic acids are reduced by reaction with LiAlH4. Aldehydes, esters, and carboxylic acids yield primary alcohols (RCH2OH) on reduction ketones yield secondary alcohols (R2CHOH). 

We ve already discussed two methods of aldehyde synthesis oxidation of primary alcohols and oxidative cleavage of alkenes. 

Methods of synthesis for carboxylic acids include (1) oxidation of alkyl-benzenes, (2) oxidative cleavage of alkenes, (3) oxidation of primary alcohols or aldehydes, (4) hydrolysis of nitriles, and (5) reaction of Grignard reagents with CO2 (carboxylation). General reactions of carboxylic acids include (1) loss of the acidic proton, (2) nucleophilic acyl substitution at the carbonyl group, (3) substitution on the a carbon, and (4) reduction. 

The synthesis of key intermediate 12, in optically active form, commences with the resolution of racemic trans-2,3-epoxybutyric acid (27), a substance readily obtained by epoxidation of crotonic acid (26) (see Scheme 5). Treatment of racemic 27 with enantio-merically pure (S)-(-)-1 -a-napthylethylamine affords a 1 1 mixture of diastereomeric ammonium salts which can be resolved by recrystallization from absolute ethanol. Acidification of the resolved diastereomeric ammonium salts with methanesulfonic acid and extraction furnishes both epoxy acid enantiomers in eantiomerically pure form. Because the optical rotation and absolute configuration of one of the antipodes was known, the identity of enantiomerically pure epoxy acid, (+)-27, with the absolute configuration required for a synthesis of erythronolide B, could be confirmed. Sequential treatment of (+)-27 with ethyl chloroformate, excess sodium boro-hydride, and 2-methoxypropene with a trace of phosphorous oxychloride affords protected intermediate 28 in an overall yield of 76%. The action of ethyl chloroformate on carboxylic acid (+)-27 affords a mixed carbonic anhydride which is subsequently reduced by sodium borohydride to a primary alcohol. Protection of the primary hydroxyl group in the form of a mixed ketal is achieved easily with 2-methoxypropene and a catalytic amount of phosphorous oxychloride. 

Because the olefin geometry in compound 9 will most certainly have a bearing on the stereochemical outcome of the hydroboration step, a reliable process for the construction of the trans trisubsti-tuted olefin in 9 must be identified. A priori, the powerful and predictable Wittig reaction28 could be used to construct E u, [3-unsaturated ester 10 from aldehyde 11. Reduction of the ethoxycarbonyl grouping in 10, followed by benzylation of the resulting primary alcohol, would then complete the synthesis of 9. Aldehyde 11 is a known substance that can be prepared from 2-furylacetonitrile (12). 

The strategy for the construction of 13 from aldehyde 16 with two units of phosphonate 15 is summarized in Scheme 12. As expected, aldehyde 16 condenses smoothly with the anion derived from 15 to give, as the major product, the corresponding E,E,E-tri-ene ester. Reduction of the latter substance to the corresponding primary alcohol with Dibal-H, followed by oxidation with MnC>2, then furnishes aldehyde 60 in 86 % overall yield. Reiteration of this tactic and a simple deprotection step completes the synthesis of the desired intermediate 13 in good overall yield and with excellent stereoselectivity. 

---