Prostaglandins stereoselective synthesis

The high stereoselectivity has been employed to advantage in prostaglandin precursor synthesis. In the case of electron-acceptor substituents, the attack occurs mainly on the more electrophilic carbon atom. Tetrasubstituted oxiranes do not react, probably because of steric hindrance. The directing effect of the oxygen function has been examined in derivatives of cis- and rrfl s-2-hydroxycyclohexene oxides (Eqs. 257-259). 

Sodium benzenethiolate reacted with 6,6-dimethyl-2-vinyl-5,7-dioxaspiro[2.5]octane-4,8-dione (16) to give the 1,5-addition product only. When ethyl trani-6-(l-heptenyl)-2-oxo-bicyclo[3.1.0]heptane-l-carboxylate (18, R = Et) was treated with potassium benzenethiolate it was converted stereospecifically to the corresponding trawj -cyclopentanone derivative 19 (R = Et) with a defined configuration at the a-carbon atom of the side chain. This reaction proved to be useful for the stereoselective synthesis of prostaglandins. ... 

Electrolysis of carboxylates in the presence of olefins may afford the radical addition products [5]. Intramolecular radical addition may furnish a simple and straightforward access to cyclic compounds. Mixed decarboxylative coupling of 6-alkenoic acids and various carboxylic acids giving cyclic compounds is utilized for synthesis of useful chemicals. For instance, a stereoselective synthesis of prostaglandin precursors is achieved successfully by mixed Kolbe-type decarboxylation [b](Fig.2). 

Michael addition of the reagent to enoates and enones occurs at low temperature (—50 to —78 °C) in the presence of catalytic amounts of various Lewis acids. A catalytic amount of triph-enylmethyl perchlorate (5 mol %) effectively catalyzes the tandem Michael reaction of ethyl acetate-derived silyl ketene acetal to a, -unsaturated ketones and the sequential aldol addition to aldehydes with high stereoselectivity.HgL mediates the Michael addition to chiral enones, followed by Lewis acid-mediated addition to aldehydes. The Michael-aldol protocol has been used for the stereoselective synthesis of key intermediates on the way to prostaglandins, compactin, and ML-236A (eq 19). ... 

A conceptually surprising and new route to prostaglandins was found and evaluated by C.R. Johnson in 1988. It involves the simple idea to add alkenylcopper reagents stereo-selectively to a protected chiral 4,5-dihydroxy-2-cyclopenten-l-one and to complete the synthesis of the trisubstituted cyclopentanone by stereoselective allylation of the resulting enolate. 

Because the Corey synthesis has been extensively used in prostaglandin research, improvements on the various steps in the procedure have been made. These variations include improved procedures for the preparation of norbomenone (24), alternative methods for the resolution of acid (26), stereoselective preparations of (26), improved procedures for the deiodination of iodolactone (27), alternative methods for the synthesis of Corey aldehyde (29) or its equivalent, and improved procedures for the stereoselective reduction of enone (30) (108—168). For example, a catalytic enantioselective Diels-Alder reaction has been used in a highly efficient synthesis of key intermediate (24) in 92% ee (169). 

The method has been used for a short asymmetric synthesis of (-)-prostaglandin Ej methyl ester (PGEj) (2-58) starting from 2-47, 2-55 and 2-56 (Scheme 2.12) [17]. The domino reaction provided 2-57 in 60 % yield as mixture of two diastereomers in reasonable stereoselectivity (trans-threo trans-erythro ratio 83 17). Further transformations led to 2-58 in an overall yield of 7% and 94% ee in seven steps. 

Because compound 156 is a rigid framework that can be readily generated from a dimer of cyclopentadiene, this compound offers an ideal structure on which many reactions can be carried out stereoselectively. Scheme 5-47 shows the synthesis of prostaglandin Ai or A2 (158). After the two side chains have... 

A variation of this route was applied to the preparation of a-methylenecyclo-pentane 179, an intermediate that was employed for the synthesis of prostaglandin PGF2o, (180) (Scheme 6.82). The acetonide-protected oxime-diol 175 [derived from propanal (174)] was treated with sodium hypochlorite without the addition of base. This led to the tricyclic adduct 176 with high stereoselectivity. One of the side chains was subsequently elaborated and the fully protected cyclopentano-isoxazo-line (177), when exposed to Raney Ni/boron trichloride, gave the 2-hydroxymethyl-cyclopentanone (178). This compound was dehydrated using mesyl chloride/ pyridine to furnish enone (179) (324). In another related synthesis of PGF2q, the p-side-chain (3-hydroxyoctenyl) was introduced prior to the cycloaddition (325). 

Stereoselective intermolecular photoadditions of alkenes to enones have been elegantly utilized in the synthesis of naturally occurring compounds or compounds of special interest. Sato and collaborators100 have applied the photoaddition of dioxinone 208 to the chiral r/.v-diol 207 for a one-pot synthesis of the Corey lactone 210, which possesses considerable utility in the preparation of prostaglandin derivatives (Scheme 45). 

The catalytical decomposition of iodonium ylides is especially useful as a method of cyclization via intramolecular cycloaddition or bond insertion [146 -148]. Several representative examples of these cyclizations are shown in Scheme 73. Specifically, the intramolecular cyclopropanation of ylide 203 leading to product 204 was used in the synthesis of the 3,5-cyclovitamin D ring A synthon [146]. The copper(I) catalyzed decomposition of phenyliodonium ylides 205 affords the corresponding substituted tetralones 206 in good preparative yields [147]. Under similar conditions,iodonium ylides 207 undergo regio-and stereoselective intramolecular cyclopropanation to form the key bicy-clo[3.1.0]hexane intermediates 208 for prostaglandin synthesis [148]. 

The special potential for constructing double bonds stereoselectively, often necessary in natural material syntheses, makes the Wittig reaction a valuable alternative compared to partial hydrogenation of acetylenes. It is used in the synthesis of carotenoids, fragrance and aroma compounds, terpenes, steroides, hormones, prostaglandins, pheromones, fatty acid derivatives, plant substances, and a variety of other olefinic naturally occurring compounds. Because of the considerable volume of this topic we would like to consider only selected paths of the synthesis of natural compounds in the following sections and to restrict it to reactions of phosphoranes (ylides) only. 

In many cases, the second side chain of the cyclopentane ring of prostaglandins possesses a double bond with ( )-geometry at C-13. The introduction of this side chain is usually achieved by olefination with phosphonate anions according to the Homer technique. However, because of the vicinal oxygen function at C-15 it is also recommended to introduce the side chain via ( )-stereoselective Wittig synthesis... 

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