Reductive fragmentation/olefination

D-Glucose ([52], Fig. 9) has served as an intriguing educt for preparation (31) of the Corey lactone equivalent [59] (32). The iodo compound [53] was readily available from glucose in four steps. Reductive fragmentation, induced by zinc in ethanol, gave the unsaturated aldehyde [54]. Reaction with N-methylhydroxylamine was followed by a spontaneous nitrone cycloaddition to provide the oxazolidine [55]. Catalytic reduction of the N-O bond was accompanied by the unexpected loss of tosylate and aziridine formation. Olefin formation from [56] via the N-oxide and chain extension gave acid [57]. lodolactonization and tri-n-butyltin hydride reduction in the standard fashion led to lactone [58]. After saponification of the benzoates, stereoselective epoxide formation gave epoxy lactone [59]. 

When hydrogenolysis of vinylepoxides is used sequentially, it allows for the controlled formation of 1,3-polyols. In the synthesis of the C11-C23 fragment 92 of preswinholide A, hydrogenolysis of ( ) olefin 93 gave the syn isomer 94 (Scheme 9.37) [159]. Methylation, reduction, epoxidation, oxidation, and olefmation of this material then gave vinylepoxide 95, which was subjected to hydrogenolysis to afford 96 in excellent yield. Repetition of this sequence ultimately afforded the desired derivative 94. 

A unique approach to the requisite C-ring fragment 51 is achieved through reductive cyclization of olefinic ester 55 by way of the titanium alkylidene, as described by Rainer and Nicolaou [59]. The olefinic ester 55 is prepared in ten steps from (R)-isobutyl lactate using consecutive chelation-controlled... 

Perlmutter used an oxymercuration/demercuration of a y-hydroxy alkene as the key transformation in an enantioselective synthesis of the C(8 ) epimeric smaller fragment of lb (and many more pamamycin homologs cf. Fig. 1) [36]. Preparation of substrate 164 for the crucial cyclization event commenced with silylation and reduction of hydroxy ester 158 (85-89% ee) [37] to give aldehyde 159, which was converted to alkenal 162 by (Z)-selective olefination with ylide 160 (dr=89 l 1) and another diisobutylaluminum hydride reduction (Scheme 22). An Oppolzer aldol reaction with boron enolate 163 then provided 164 as the major product. Upon successive treatment of 164 with mercury(II) acetate and sodium chloride, organomercurial compound 165 and a second minor diastereomer (dr=6 l) were formed, which could be easily separated. Reductive demercuration, hydrolytic cleavage of the chiral auxiliary, methyl ester formation, and desilylation eventually led to 166, the C(8 ) epimer of the... 

Synthesis of a C(8)-C(18) segment of the larger fragment of lb using the same basic strategy is depicted in Scheme 25. Here, hydroxy ketone 176 was subjected to syn-selective (dr of crude product=90 10) reductive amination [42] with sodium cyanoborohydride and benzylamine followed by tetrahydro-oxazine formation using aqueous formaldehyde. The resulting heterocycle 182 was then converted to unsaturated ester 184 by successive desilylation, oxidation, and entirely (Z)-selective Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination. Re-... 

The CD fragment 1s synthesized starting with resolved bicyclic acid 129. Sequential catalytic hydrogenation and reduction with sodium borohydride leads to the reduced hydroxy acid 1. The carboxylic acid function is then converted to the methyl ketone by treatment with methyl-lithium and the alcohol is converted to the mesylate. Elimination of the latter group with base leads to the conjugated olefin 133. Catalytic reduction followed by equilibration of the ketone in base leads to the saturated methyl ketone 134. Treatment of that intermediate with peracid leads to scission of the ketone by Bayer Villiger reaction to afford acetate 135. The t-butyl protecting... 

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