Vinyl ethers reduction

Another synthesis of the cortisol side chain from a C17-keto-steroid is shown in Figure 20. Treatment of a C3-protected steroid 3,3-ethanedyidimercapto-androst-4-ene-ll,17-dione [112743-82-5] (144) with a tnhaloacetate, 2inc, and a Lewis acid produces (145). Addition of a phenol and potassium carbonate to (145) in refluxing butanone yields the aryl vinyl ether (146). Concomitant reduction of the C20-ester and the Cll-ketone of (146) with lithium aluminum hydride forms (147). Deprotection of the C3-thioketal, followed by treatment of (148) with y /(7-chlotopetben2oic acid, produces epoxide (149). Hydrolysis of (149) under acidic conditions yields cortisol (29) (181). 

The reaction between perfluoraarylmagnesium halides and esters of dicar-boxyltc acids gives, besides the expected keto esters, secondary alcohols as reduction products [29, 30, 31] (equation 10) Such a reduction is enhanced by higher temperature The hydrogen necessary for reduction comes from the solvent, diethyl ether, which is dehydrogenated to ethyl vinyl ether, which has been identified as a by-product in a similar reaction of perfluoroalkyllithium compound [52]... 

These ethers can be removed from naphthohydroquinones either by elimination to the vinyl ether followed by hydrolysis or by Finklestein reaction with iodide followed by reduction with zinc. ... 

Dioxepanes 63 were hydrolyzed with aqueous hydrochloric acid to the starting diol. A thionyl chloride promoted ring-opening of dioxepane 63 to intermediate 64 has been reported. When treated with base, compound 64 can be transformed into vinylic ether 65 in 58% yield (81ZOR1047) (Scheme 31). 3-Methylfurazan-4-acetic acid was converted to the vinyl derivative 66 via an esterification, reduction, mesylation, and base elimination sequence (81JHC1247) (Scheme 31). 

The chiral BOX-copper(ll) complexes, (S)-21a and (l )-21b (X=OTf, SbFg), were found by Evans et al. to catalyze the enantioselective cycloaddition reactions of the a,/ -unsaturated acyl phosphonates 49 with ethyl vinyl ether 46a and the cyclic enol ethers 50 giving the cycloaddition products 51 and 52, respectively, in very high yields and ee as outlined in Scheme 4.33 [38b]. It is notable that the acyclic and cyclic enol ethers react highly stereoselectively and that the same enantiomer is formed using (S)-21a and (J )-21b as the catalyst. It is, furthermore, of practical importance that the cycloaddition reaction can proceed in the presence of only 0.2 mol% (J )-21a (X=SbF6) with minimal reduction in the yield of the cycloaddition product and no loss of enantioselectivity (93% ee). 

A variety of solvents have been used successfully. Extensive hydrolysis or alcoholysis may accompany reduction in aqueous or alcoholic solvent, attack presumably occurring on the intermediate vinyl ether (SS). 

Extensive hydrogenolysis of vinyl ethers does not occur always over platinum. Reduction of 28 proceeded smoothly to 29 (/09). It is likely that the high pressure and low temperature used in this experiment helped to minimize hydrogenolysis. For effective use of subambient ( —30°C) temperatures in stopping hydrogenolysis of vinyl functions, see (/Oa). 

Hydrogenation of the vinyl ether (49) in ether solution in the presence of palladium-on-carbon catalyst afforded 6-deoxy-2,3-0-isopropyli-dene-/ D-arafemo-hexulofuranose (53) (17) as the only product. As with the vinyl ethers (39) and (43), reduction of the double bond occurred from the least hindered side of the molecule, namely opposite to the isopropylidene ring. 

Under cathodic reduction condition, 2-bromo-2-cyanoacetophenone is transformed into 5-amino-4-benzoyl-3-phenylfuran-2-carbonitrile in good yield <00H(53)1337>. Cyanoketones react with glycolate under Mitsunobu conditions to produce vinyl ethers which give rise to 3-... 

A related Heck reaction of substituted o-bromoacetanilides with styrenes followed by selenium-induced cyclization of the resulting o-styiylacetanilides gives 2-arylindoles [378], Substituted o-bromonitrobenzenes react with ethyl vinyl ether under the influence of Pd(OAc)2 to give the corresponding o-ethoxyethenylnitrobenzenes. Zinc reduction then yields indoles [379]. The one-step Pd-catalyzed conversion of o-bromoanilines to indoles 302 with enamines (or with A/-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) has been reported [380]. 

In contrast to the direct reduction as described above, the indirect electrochemical reduction of perfluoroalkyl halides is a versatile and novel method for generating perfluoroalkyl radicals selectively. Saveant et al. have demonstrated many successful examples. Using terephthalonitrile as a mediator, the indirect reduction of CF3Br in the presence of styrene leads to the dimer of the radical adduct obtained by the attack of CF on styrene. On the other hand, in the presence of butyl vinyl ether, the mediator reacts with the radical adduct obtained by the attack of CF3. on the olefin (Scheme 3.4) [14]. 

Hydroxy-containing fluorovinyl ether monomers (5,6) were prepared in excellent yields (80-90%) in a single step from the corresponding esters (1,3)12"14 with sodium borohydride in absolute ethanol. Protection of the sensitive vinyl ether groups was not required during the reduction. In contrast, the use of a more powerful reducing agent, such as lithium aluminum hydride, resulted in the reduction of the double bond ... 

An elegant ring expansion methodology has been developed by Paquette [699] (Figure 3.41). This synthetic sequence is based on the double methylenation of an a-(acyloxy)aldehyde to give an allyl vinyl ether, which undergoes (reductive) Claisen rearrangement when treated with trialkylalanes. 

Other catalytic reactions involving a transition-metal allenylidene complex, as catalyst precursor or intermediate, include (1) the dehydrogenative dimerization of tributyltin hydride [116], (2) the controlled atom-transfer radical polymerization of vinyl monomers [144], (3) the selective transetherification of linear and cyclic vinyl ethers under non acidic conditions [353], (4) the cycloisomerization of (V2V-dia-llyltosylamide into 3-methyl-4-methylene-(V-tosylpyrrolidine [354, 355], and (5) the reduction of protons from HBF4 into dihydrogen [238]. 

Vinyl ethers were reductively cleaved by lithium, sodium or potassium in liquid ammonia especially in the absence of alcohols (except terf-butyl alcohol) A mixture of l-methoxy-1,3- and l-methoxy-l,4-cyclohexadiene gave in this way first methoxycyclohexene and, on further reduction, cyclohexene Reductive cleavage of a-alkoxytetrahydrofurans and pyrans will be discussed in the chapter on acetals (p. 104). 

Sodium iodide is proposed as a good supporting electrolyte for the dimerization of enol ethers in methanol [41], The electrolyte is readily oxidised to iodine so that the first reaction of the vinyl ether will be iodomethoxylation [43], Since the electrochemical reaction is canied out in an undivided cell, reduction of the iodo intermediate at the cathode can give the dimeric product (see p. 99). 

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