Transforms Disconnections

With strategic bond guidance, it is easy to find 2-Gp transform disconnections even if neither FG of an effective retron is present. In the case of the bridged aldehyde 160, recognition of the strategic bond shown (in bold face) keys FGI processes in both directions from the bond, which successfully establish the aldol retron leading to molecular disconnection by a sequence of aldol and Michael transforms, to generate a simple chiral precursor.31... 

The specific transformations that disconnect the strategic bonds in the desired fashion are performed. 

Figure lO.J-31. Disconnection of the strategic bond yields (charged) synthons. The synthons are then transformed into neutral, stable reactants. 

You have already seen that a carbon-heteroatom bond is easy to make, since we used such bonds as natural places for disconnections (frames 234 ft). It is good strategy therefore to make a carbon-heteroatom bond and then to transform it into a carbon-earbon bond. The Claisen rearrangement is one way to do this an ortho allyl phenol (B) made from an allyl ether (A) ... 

Another example is a chiral olefinic alcohol, which is disconnected at the double bond by a refro-Wittig transform. In the resulting 4-hydroxypentanal we recognize again glutamic acid, if methods are available to convert regio- and stereoselectively... 

In stereoselective antitheses of chiral open-chain molecules transformations into cyclic precursors should be tried. The erythro-configurated acetylenic alcohol given below, for example, is disconnected into an acetylene monoanion and a symmetrical oxirane (M. A. Adams, 1979). Since nucleophilic substitution occurs with inversion of configuration this oxirane must be trens-conilgurated its precursor is commercially available trans-2-butene. 

Difunctional target molecules are generally easily disconnected in a re/ro-Michael type transform. As an example we have chosen a simple symmetrical molecule, namely 4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2,6-heptanedione. Only p-anisaldehyde and two acetone equivalents are needed as starting materials. The antithesis scheme given helow is self-explanatory. The aldol condensation product must be synthesized first and then be reacted under controlled conditions with a second enolate (e.g. a silyl enolate plus TiCl4 or a lithium enolate), enamine (M. Pfau, 1979), or best with acetoacetic ester anion as acetone equivalents. 

The 1,6-difunctional hydroxyketone given below contains an octyl chain at the keto group and two chiral centers at C-2 and C-3 (G. Magnusson, 1977). In the first step of the antithesis of this molecule it is best to disconnect the octyl chain and to transform the chiral residue into a cyclic synthon simultaneously. Since we know that ketones can be produced from add derivatives by alkylation (see p. 45ff,), an obvious precursor would be a seven-membered lactone ring, which is opened in synthesis by octyl anion at low temperature. The lactone in turn can be transformed into cis-2,3-dimethyicyclohexanone, which is available by FGI from (2,3-cis)-2,3-dimethylcyclohexanol. The latter can be separated from the commercial ds-trans mixture, e.g. by distillation or chromatography. 

The two-bond disconnection (re/ro-cycloaddition) approach also often works very well if the target molecule contains three-, four-, or five-membered rings (see section 1.13 and 2.5). The following tricyclic aziridine can be transformed by one step into a monocyclic amine (W. Nagata, 1968). In synthesis one would have to convert the amine into a nitrene, which-would add spontcaneously to a C—C double bond in the vicinity. 

PT (potential transformer) windings must be disconnected by removing the control fuses from its both sides. 

The reduction of stereochemical complexity can frequently be effected by stereoselective transforms which are not disconnective of skeletal bonds. Whenever such, transforms also result in the replacement of functional groups by hydrogen they are even more simplifying. Transforms which remove FG s in the retrosynthetic direction without removal of stereocenters constitute another structurally simplifying group. Chart 3 presents a sampling of FG- and/or stereocenter-removing transforms most of which are not disconnective of skeleton. 

Functional group interchange transforms (FGI) frequently are employed to allow simplifying skeletal disconnections. The examples 9 => 10 and 11 => 12 + 13, in which the initial FGI transform plays a critical role, typify such processes. 

Retrosynthetic addition of elements such as sulfur, selenium, phosphorous or boron may be required as part of a disconnective sequence, as in the Julia-Lythgoe E olefin transform as applied to 33. 

Once a particular 6-membered ring is selected as a site for applying the Diels-Alder transform, six possible [4 + 2] disconnections can be examined, i.e. there are six possible locations of the Jt-bond of the basic Diels-Alder retron. With ring numbering as shown in 36, and... 

The information obtained by this preliminary analysis can be used not only to set priorities for the various possible Diels-Alder disconnections, but also to pinpoint obstacles to transform application. Recognition of such obstacles can also serve to guide the search for specific retrosynthetic sequences or for the highest priority disconnections. At this point it is likely that... 

The retron for the Claisen rearrangement transform (see above) is easily established by the application of a Wittig disconnection at each of the equivalent terminal double bonds of 57... 

When this type of transform is applied mechanistically to 85, retron generation is simple, for example by the change 85 => 86, and the sequence 86 => 90 disconnects two rings and provides an interesting synthetic pathway. Radical intermediate 88, which is disconnected at p-CC bond a to produce 89, may alternatively be disconnected at the P-CC bond b which leads to a different, but no less interesting, pathway via 91 to the acyclic precursor 92. The analysis in Chart 11 is intended to illustrate the mechanistic transform method and its utility it is not meant to be exhaustive or complete. 

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