Sesquiterpene epoxides

Chapters 3 and 4 (familiarity with which is assumed) provide us with powerful techniques and methods to elucidate the structures of organic compounds especially when combined with information derived from IR and mass spectrometry. These NMR methods are collectively referred to as one-dimensional techniques. To extend our capabilities, we turn once more to NMR. We will use four compounds as examples ipsenol (see Chapter 3), caryophyllene oxide (a sesquiterpene epoxide), lactose (a j3-linked disaccharide), and a small peptide (valine-glycine-serine-glutamate, VGSE). The structures of these compounds are shown in Figure 5.1. 

Juvenile hormone III, an acyclic sesquiterpene epoxide, was also synthesized from (S)-25 by submitting the acetate of (S)-25 to the... 

The position of these substances in the chromatogram is determined by the polarity of the parent compound. Menthofuran migrates just behind guaiazulene [182 a, 247]. The terpene and sesquiterpene epoxides follow, lying in the upper part of the ester zone on silica gel G layers (Table 23) (cf. also [155]). in agreement with El-Deeb [55]. The carbonyl and alcohol oxides follow with lower hRf-values. This sequence holds even at — 9° C using Freon (Frigen 21) as solvent [255]. 

The first synthesis of Taxol was completed by Robert Holton and co-workers and is outlined in Scheme 13.53. One of the key steps occurs early in the synthesis in sequence A and effects fragmentation of 4 to 5. The intermediate epoxide 4 was prepared from a sesquiterpene alcohol called patchino. 35 The epoxide was then converted to 5 by a BF3-mediated rearrangement. 

Semen, reactive oxygen species, 612 Sensorial quaUty appreciation, oxidation stabihty, 664 Semm protein oxidative damage, 614 see also Human seram Sesquiterpenes, stractural chemistry, 133-6 SET see Single electron transfer Sharpless epoxidation, allylic alcohols, 789 Shelf durability, peroxide value, 656 Ship-in-the-bottle strategy, chiral dioxetane synthesis, 1176-7... 

Another related synthesis made use of the intramolecular cycloaddition of co-nitroalkene 243, also derived from geraniol epoxide 237. Generation of the expected nitrile oxide dipole using p-chlorophenyl isocyanate and triethylamine quantitatively gave the annulated isoxazoline 244 as a 2 1 mixture of diastereo-isomers (Scheme 6.94). Reductive hydrolysis of the cycloadduct to the aldol product followed by dehydration provided enone 245, which was used to prepare the sesquiterpene nanaimoal 246 (242). 

Essential oils may comprise volatile compounds of terpenoid or non-terpe-noid origin. All of them are hydrocarbons and their oxygenated derivatives. Some may also contain nitrogen or sulphur derivatives. They may exist in the form of alcohols, acids, esters, epoxides, aldehydes, ketones, amines, sulphides, etc. Monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and even diterpenes constitute the composition of many essential oils. In addition, phenylpropanoids, fatty acids and their esters, or their decomposition products are also encountered as volatiles [1-16, 21-33, 36-38]. 

A novel synthesis of the sesquiterpene ( )-cinnamodial (148) utilizes the furan ring as a latent 1,4-dialdehyde synthon (81JA3226). The triol (141) was thus oxidized to the ketofuran (142). Oxidation of the furan moiety with lead tetraacetate afforded a 90% yield of epimeric diacetates (143) which when exposed briefly to DBU gave dienone (144). Epoxidation of (144) and exposure of the epoxide (145) to p-toluenesulfonic acid gave the bis-acetal (146). Reduction of this intermediate to a diol and hydrolysis of the bis-acetal furnished dialdehyde (147). Acetylation of the secondary hydroxyl group completed the synthesis of cinnamodial (Scheme 32). 

The three mono-epoxides of humulene 1 are naturally occurring, and it is believed that they are in vivo precursors of other bicyclic and tricyclic sesquiterpenes. In vitro experiments have demonstrated that the 1,2- and 4,5-epoxides undergo facile acid-catalysed rearrangement, and it has been shown recently that treatment of a chloroform solution of the 8,9-epoxide with tin(IV) chloride at -60°C for 15 minutes gives a variety of hydrocarbons and one major product (25%), the alcohol 2. 

The final step in Danishefsky s synthesis of the sesquiterpene coriolin (2)3 required bis epoxidation of 1. All attempts to effect this reaction in one step resulted in a mixture of the desired diepoxide (2) and epicoriolin (3) in about equal parts under best conditions. However, a two-step epoxidation procedure (1 >4 and 5 ->-6) resulted in a stereoselective synthesis of 2. 

As with the previous studies in this section, no chloroform or HC1 was employed in the isolation process, which might otherwise convert the corresponding epoxides to these chlorohydrins. The fungus Phomopsis sp., which was found growing on the plant Adenocarpus foliolosus, produces the sesquiterpene acid 296 (534). 

Non-cyclic sesquiterpenes include the volatiles a- and (3-farnesene (which have alarm pheromone activity) and pleasant odorants from Citrus sinsensis (orange) (Rutaceae), namely a- and [i-sinensal (mandarin peel odour) and nerolidol from orange flower oil (oil of neroli). The epoxide JH III is produced by Cyperus iria (Cyperaceae) and acts critically on insect development. 

Reaction with a-hydroxy epoxides. This regioselective reaction provides a key step in a synthesis of a unique furyl sesquiterpene, pleraplysillin-l (5), isolated from a marine sponge. Thus treatment of 1 with TifO-i-Pr), results in the enediol 2. which is converted... 

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