Wadsworth-Emmons chain extension

With the alkene in place, the E-ring dihydrofuran was constructed by an intramolecular Wadsworth-Emmons reaction to yield ester 53 (Scheme 25). Adjustment of the oxidation state afforded aldehyde 54, and completion of the synthesis involved extension of the side-chain by addition of methallylstannane. Various conditions for this reaction were investigated, with the best results obtained with the use of 5 M lithium perchlorate31. This gave a 1.3 1 mixture of separable alcohols 55 and 56 in quantitative yield. The production of both diastereomers in nearly equal... 

Wittig and Emmons-Wadsworth reactions. An alkyne synthesis by chain extension of aldehydes uses dihalomethyltriphenylphosphonium salts as Wittig reagent precursors." Note that temperature is important in determining whether the products are 1,1-diiodoalkenes, 1-iodoalkynes, or 1-alkynes. 

Various [l- C]carboxylic acids have been prepared by carboxylation of carbanions stabilized by -I or -M substituents. The examples in Figure 5.7 have been selected here as prototypes, since they are of strategic interest. Deprotonation of diethyl methylphos-phonate (18 with n-BuLi followed by [ CJcarboxylation and esterification with diazoethane provided triethyl phosphonoll- Clacetate (19) in an overall radiochemical yield of 62%. Compound 19 has been widely exploited for chain extensions by a labeled two-carbon unit via its alkenylation reaction with carbonyl compounds (Homer-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction). Similarly, reaction of alkyl halides, tosylates or carbonyl compounds with LiC = CH or LiC=CH H2NCH2CH2NH2 followed by deprotonation and [ C]carboxylation of the resulting terminal alkynes has been used as a strategic tool for the incorporation of a labeled three-carbon unit, as exemphfied in a steroid platform (20 to 21). This chemistry provides outcomes complementary to those using [ C2]acetylene (Chapter 8, Section 5.1). Finally, the [ CJcarboxylation of lithiated dimethylsulfide provided an alkylthio[l- C]acetic acid 22 and thence a functionalized 2-alkylthio[l- C]ethyl derivative 23 useful, in this case, for elaboration into e.p. 

The first steps of the [ C]squalene synthesis resemble the pathway selected for the synthesis on [3 - C]coenzyme QIO 13061 (Figure 6.84). In this case alkylation with solanesyl bromide (3011 and subsequent hydrolysis and decarboxylation of the ester function converted ethyl [3- C]acetoacetate into [2- C]solanesylacetone 302. Chain extension of 302 in a Homer-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction, reduction of the resulting a,/3-unsatu-rated ester 303 and coupling of the resulting alcohol ([3- C]decaprenol, 3041 to 2-methyl-5,6-dimethoxy-1,4-hydroquinone (3051 provided the coenzyme in an overall radiochemical yield of 8% after oxidation. Methodologically comparable pathways have also been published for the synthesis of [5- C]farnesylacetic acid and [3 - C]menaquinone . 

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