Y-Hydroxy-8,11,13

Epoxides provide another useful a -synthon. Nucleophilic ring opening with dianions of carboxylic acids (P.L. Creger, 1972) leads to y-hydroxy carboxylic acids or y-lactones. Addition of imidoester anions to epoxides yields y-hydroxyaldehyde derivatives after reduction (H.W. Adickes, 1969). 

Cram erythro-products" (G.E. Keck, 1984 A, B, C). [3-(Silyloxy)allyl]stannanes and O-pro-tected a- or y -hydroxy aldehydes yield 1,2,3- or 1,2,4-triols with three chiral centres with high regio- and diastereoselectivity (G.E. Keck, 1987). 

Long range functionalization of alcohols via nitrites leading to y-hydroxy oximes... 

It was found later that the electrolytic coupling reaction gave better yield with the acetate corresponding to B, since fragmentation was a major side reaction of the y-hydroxy acid B (Ref. 2). 

This 1,3-migration of hydrogen was also observed when 40 reacted with Lawesson s reagent to produce the dithiolactone 41. However, when y-hydroxy-a,P-unsaturated aldehyde 42 was reacted under similar conditions, thiophene 43 was prepared efficiently. These results are not surprising considering that the oxidation state of 42 is equivalent to the traditional saturated 1,4-dicarbonyl substrates of the Paal thiophene reaction via tautomerization of the double bond, and aromaticity is reestablished in the fully conjugated 43. 

Heterocyclic compounds carrying potential hydroxyl groups are cyclic amides or vinylogs of amides. There is much physical evidence that acyclic amides exist almost entirely in the oxo form (for references see reference 6), and the apparent contradiction that ultraviolet spectral data appeared to favor the imidol formulation has now been explained on steric grounds. The value of pKr is estimated to be about 7 on the basis of pK measurements for acyclic amides. Extensive evidence, summarized in the following sections, shows that for a- and y-hydroxy heterocyclic compounds, the cyclic amide form usually predominates by a substantial factor, often ca. 10 . 

In 1951, Witkop et al. interpreted the infrared spectra of quinol-2-and -4-ones to favor the oxo formulation. Since then, many investigators, especially Mason, have reported that potential a- and y-hydroxy compounds show infrared absorption bands in the vN—H (3500-3360 cm ) and vC—O (1780-1550 cm ) regions of the spectrum and, hence, exist predominantly in the oxo form references to this work appear in Table I. A study of the bands which occur in the NH-stretching region of the infrared spectra of a series of substituted pyrid-2-ones and quinol-2-ones also supported an oxo formulation for these compounds. Detailed band assignments have been published for pyrid-2- and -4-one. Mason has reported that solutions of j8-hydroxy compounds in chloroform or carbon tetrachloride show... 

For the construction of the I ring, the vinylic group introduced to activate the y-hydroxy epoxide moiety of 28 towards cyclization is an acrylic ester residue, which concomitantly allows cyclization on the allylic position, with formation of the tricyclic compound 29 containing the IJK fragment of the natural product, and fur-... 

Schreiber found that the monoalkylation of the lithium enolate of cyclonona-none with propene oxide could be cleanly effected by addition of AlMe3 to give the y-hydroxy ketone 145, a key intermediate for the synthesis of recifeiolide [69a]. 

Nucleophiles such as alkyllithium, or the anion derived from 2-nitropropane, readily add to y-hydroxy-a,/1-unsaturated sulfones (equations 69 and 70)59. Oxidation followed by elimination of f-butylsulfinic acid leads to the formation of dienones (equation 70). 

An interesting new method for the conversion of [I, y-epoxy sulfones (82) to cyclo-alkenones (85) has been developed61. It includes the addition of alkyllithium to y-hydroxy-a,/ -unsaturated sulfones generated from 82 and the alkylation of sulfonyl carbanion thus formed. Oxidation of the resulting y-hydroxy sulfone to 84 followed by elimination of benzenesulfinic acid gives the desired product 85 in good yields (equation 72)61. 

The ion 133 also reacts with epoxides to form y-hydroxy aldehydes after reduction and hydrolysis,and with aldehydes and ketones (16-41). Similar aldehyde synthesis has also been carried out with thiazoles " and thiazolines (five-... 

Lithiated allylic carbamates (35) (prepared as shown) react with aldehydes or ketones (R C0R ), in a reaction accompanied by an allylic rearrangement, to give (after hydrolysis) y-hydroxy aldehydes or ketones. The reaction is called the homoaldol reaction, since the product is a homolog of the product... 

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