Proximal lactones

A related situation is found in the case of P-substituted cycloketones here, the electronic difference between the two a-carbons is almost insignificant, resulting in unselective migration upon chemical oxidation. BVMOs have a particularly different behavior, as they can influence the stereo- and/or regioselectivity of the biooxidation. In the latter case, the distribution of proximal and distal lactones is affected by directing the oxygen insertion process either into the bond close or remote to the position of the P-substituent. Consequently, a regioisomeric excess (re) can be defined for this biotransformation, similar to enantiomeric excess or diastereomeric excess values [143]. 

Scheme 9.25 Combined chemo- and biooxidative route to chiral proximal and distal lactones.

In this route a dihydroisoquinoline (58) is N alkylated with a highly functionalized o -bromoacetophenone (59) to give a quaternary salt (60), which is treated with base and cyclizes to a pyrroloisoquinoline (60). The pyrrole nucleus is then formylated under Vilsmeier-Haack conditions at position 5 and a proximate mesylated phenolic group is deprotected with base to yield a pen-tasubstituted pyrrole (61). Subsequent oxidative cyclization of this formylpyr-role produces the 5-lactone portion of lamellarin G trimethyl ether (36). This sequence allows for rapid and efficient analog synthesis as well as the synthesis of the natural product. 

In the intramolecular reactions studied by Bruice and Koshland and their co-workers, proximity effects (reduction in kinetic order and elimination of unfavourable ground state conformations) and orientation effects might give rate accelerations of 10 -10 . Hence, these effects can by themselves account for the enhancements seen in most intramolecular reactions. However, a factor of 10 -10 is less than the rate acceleration calculated for many enzyme reactions and certain intramolecular reactions, for example, hydrolysis of benzalde-hyde disalicyl acetal (3 X 10 ) (Anderson and Fife, 1973) and the lactonization reaction of[l] (10 ) where a trimethyl lock has been built into the system. If hydrolysis of tetramethylsuccinanilic acid (Higuchi et al., 1966) represents a steric compression effect (10 rate acceleration), then proximity, orientation, and steric compression... 

A detailed examination of OSO4 reactions with A -steroids has been reported." The A-ring conformation of the reactant or derived complex is important in determining the stereoselectivity of these reactions, and the major role of the proximate substituents is to anchor the appropriate conformation favouring a- or /3-attack. Studies on the stereochemistry of electrophilic attack on cholest-5-en-3-one continue." As with bromine chloride," appreciable /3-attack occurs and the 5/3,6j8-epoxide was isolated along with the previously reported 5a,6a-epoxide and the Baeyer-Villiger product, the A-homo-enol lactone (58). Base-catalysed... 

Treatment of the /J-hydroxy complex 15 with two equivalents of strong base followed by alkylation produces a mixture of the diastereomers 20 and 21 with an anomalously low d.r.27. The low degree of diastereofacial discrimination has been rationalized by invoking the formation of both rotamers of the initially formed alkoxide, 16 and 17. Rotamer 16 undergoes a-proton abstraction by a second equivalent of base to form the chelated dianionic Tf-enolate 18 which upon alkylation affords the usual diastereomer 20. Rotamer 17 is thought to rapidly transform to a metallo-lactone species by intramolecular attack of the alkoxide upon the proximate carbon monoxide ligand, which must occur faster than conversion to the less sterically encumbered conformer 16. Subsequent deprotonation to generate dianion 19, which is constrained to exist as the unusual Z-enolate, followed by alkylation provides the other diastereomer 21, which is formed in an amount nearly equal to 20. 

Lactone formation because of the close proximity of heteroatoms and an active hydrogen atom in the molecule, e.g., benazepril. 

A related proximal ring-opening reaction is observed when trans- or cu-2,3-bis-(hydroxymethyl)methylenecyclopropanes react with Fe2(CO)9 in ether, affording a mixture of two noninterconvertible lactones (equation 341)403,404. It should, however, be noted... 

After conjugate addition of the hydroperoxide anion to the chelated a,p-unsaturated lactone, the resulting enolate counterattacks the proximal [3-hydroperoxide group to form an epoxide. The latter then ring-expands to create another enolate, which captures a proton from water. The product hemiacetal finally undergoes ring-opening and saponification to produce 9 (Scheme 6.5). 

Males of the carpenter bee, Xylocopa hirutissima, establish and defend territories that are located proximate to projecting trees on mountain tops (146). These territories are maintained by a mandibular gland secretion that contains, as a major constituent, the cis-lactone of 2-methyl-5-hydroxyhexanoic acid (XXXVIII) (147). 

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