Regioselective alkyl and alkynyl substitution reactions of epoxy alcohols by the use of organoaluminum ate complexes: regiochemical reversal of nucleophilic substitution reactions

Epoxide-Based Synthetic Approaches toward Polypropionates and Related Bioactive Natural Products

Polypropionate units are a common structural feature of many of the natural products in polyketides, some of which have shown a broad range of antimicrobial and therapeutic potential. Polypropionates are composed of a carbon skeleton with alternating methyl and hydroxy groups with a specific configuration. Different approaches have been developed for the synthesis of polypropionates and herein we include, for the first time, all of the epoxide-based methodologies that have been reported over the years by several research groups such as Kishi, Katsuki, Marashall, Miyashita, Prieto, Sarabia, Jung, McDonald, etc. Several syntheses of polypropionate fragments and natural products that employed epoxides as key intermediates have been described and summarized in this review. These synthetic approaches involve enatio- and diastereoselective synthesis of epoxides (epoxy-alcohols, epoxy-amides, and epoxy-esters) and their regioselective cleavage with carbon and/or hydride nucleophiles. In addition, we included a description of the isolation and biological activities of the polypropionates and related natural products that have been synthetized using epoxide-based approaches. In conclusion, the epoxide-based methodologies are a non-aldol alternative approach for the construction of polypropionate.

Bis-Boric Acid-Mediated Regioselective Reductive Aminolysis of 3,4-Epoxy Alcohols

Herein we report a bis-boric acid-mediated regioselective reductive aminolysis of 3,4-epoxy alcohols, providing new access to prepare amino diols in high diastereofidelity directly starting from nitroarenes. Notably, this step-economical process is enabled by the essential dual function of bis-boric acid, which is engaged initially in the 4,4'-bipyridine-catalyzed reduction of nitro compounds as the reductant and subsequently promotes the ring opening reaction of 3,4-epoxy alcohols with the in situ-generated anilines.

Highly Regio- and Stereoselective Intramolecular Rearrangement of Glycidol Acetal to Alkoxy Cyclic Acetals

A new class of highly regio- and stereoselective intramolecular rearrangements of glycidol acetals to produce alkoxylated 1,3-dioxolane/1,3-dioxane is demonstrated. Selective Lewis acid activation of acetal generates an oxocarbenium ion that initiates the epoxide ring-opening event, giving the bicyclic [3,1,0]epoxonium ion intermediate that undergoes exo/endo-selective opening by a tethered alkoxide. Mechanistic insights into preferential acetal activation over the epoxide were obtained by crossover experiments. The method was applied in the total synthesis of parvistone B and its 8-ethoxy analogue.

Boronic acid-catalysed C-3 selective ring opening of 3,4-epoxy alcohols with thiophenols and thiols

In this protocol we described a boronic acid-catalysed C-3 selective ring opening of 3,4-epoxy alcohols with thiophenols and thiols as nucleophiles. This diastereo- and enantiospecific reaction provides an efficient entry to prepare a variety of hydroxyl sulfides. Through the directing effect of the hydroxyl group, nucleophilic attack on the C-3 position of the epoxide moiety is favoured. It can be rationalized in a proposed transition state, in which the boronic acid catalyst tethers both epoxides and S-nucleophiles.

Asymmetric Allylation of Glycidols Mediated by Allyl Acetate via Iridium-Catalyzed Hydrogen Transfer

Glycidols prepared via Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation participate in asymmetric redox-neutral carbonyl allylation with good levels of catalyst-directed diastereoselectivity. Equally stereoselective allylations may be performed from the aldehyde oxidation level using 2-propanol as the terminal reductant. An epoxide ring-opening reaction using AlMe3-n-BuLi is used to prepare the propionate-based stereotetrad spanning C17-C23 of dictyostatin, illustrating how this method may be applied to polyketide construction.

Highly efficient synthesis of unsymmetrical 1,3-diynes from organoalane reagents and alkynyl bromides mediated by a nickel catalyst

Highly efficient and simple cross-coupling reactions of alkynylbromides with organoalane reagents for the synthesis of unsymmetrical 1,3-diynes derivatives using Ni(OAc)₂ (2–5 mol%)/(o-furyl)₃P (4–10 mol%) as a catalyst are reported.

Synthesis of virtually enantiopure aminodiols with three adjacent stereogenic centers by epoxidation and ring-opening

A virtually complete enantioselective synthesis of 3-amino-1,2-diols with three consecutive stereocenters was accomplished by a sequential cascade of two kinetic resolutions, which features a Sharpless or Hafnium-catalyzed asymmetric epoxidation and a subsequent W-catalyzed aminolysis. Enantiopure products with up to >99.9% ee and >99.9 : 0.1 dr were obtained and could serve as potential building blocks for pharmaceutical or biological significant molecules.

Tungsten-catalyzed regio- and enantioselective aminolysis of trans-2,3-epoxy alcohols: an entry to virtually enantiopure amino alcohols

The first catalytic enantioselective aminolysis of trans-2,3-epoxy alcohols has been accomplished. This stereospecific ring-opening process was efficiently promoted by a tungsten/bis(hydroxamic acid) catalytic system, furnishing various anti-3-amino-1,2-diols with excellent regiocontrol and high enantioselectivities (up to 95% ee). Moreover, virtually enantiopure 3-amino-1,2-diols could be obtained by the sequential combination of two reactions that both involve the use of a chiral catalyst.

Tungsten-catalyzed regioselective and stereospecific ring opening of 2,3-epoxy alcohols and 2,3-epoxy sulfonamides

The first catalytic, highly C3-selective, stereosepecific ring-opening reaction of 2,3-epoxy alcohols and 2,3-epoxy sulfonamides has been accomplished. This process was efficiently promoted by W-salts, and the developed method was applicable to various epoxides with diverse N- and O-nucleophiles affording the products in good to excellent yields (up to 95%) and generally with high regioselectivities (C3:C2 up to >99:1).

Regiocontrolled ring opening of monoprotected 2,3-epoxy-1,4-diols using alkynyl aluminum reagents. Synthesis of differentially monoprotected alkynyl triol derivatives

The regioselectivity of the epoxide ring opening reaction of cis and trans TIPS-monoprotected 2,3-epoxy-1,4-diols with diethylalkynyl aluminum reagents was studied. Alane and alanate conditions in toluene or dichloromethane were explored. The alkynyl attack at the C2 epoxide carbon was favored for both, the alane and alanate conditions in toluene, while in dichloromethane the C3 attack was preferred. The best regioselectivities were obtained using the alanate conditions in toluene. This methodology provides access to differentially monoprotected alkynyl triols with high diastereoselectivity. These compounds are useful building bocks for polypropionate synthesis and are precursors for the introduction of the hydroxymethyl moiety found in some polyketide systems.

Synthesis of stereotetrads by regioselective cleavage of diastereomeric MEM-protected 2-methyl-3,4-epoxy alcohols with diethylpropynyl aluminum

The regioselectivity of the epoxide ring opening of 2-methyl-3,4-epoxy alcohols with diethylpropynylalane has been studied as a function of the C1 alcohol protecting group. An efficient selective method was developed using MEM as the protecting group. The reaction proceeded in a highly regioselective manner providing the useful 1,3-diol motif. The undesired 1,4-diol product produced by some free alcohol diastereomers was not observed. This highly stereoselective method provides access to termini-differentiated stereotetrads, which are essential building bocks for polypropionate synthesis.

Stereoselective VO(acac)(2) Catalyzed Epoxidation of Acyclic Homoallylic Diols. Complementary Preparation of C2-syn-3,4-Epoxy Alcohols

A substrate-controlled stereoselective epoxidation of free and monoprotected homoallylic diols was developed. This second-generation approach is based on the incorporation of a primary hydroxy directing group at the C2 methyl carbon, which changes the nature of the vanadium ester intermediate providing a new diastereoselectivity manifold for the preparation of 3,4-epoxy alcohols. This modification favored the formation of the challenging C2-syn epoxy alcohol product not previously available using the standard homoallylic alcohol substrates. These new epoxy alcohol diastereomers expand the scope and generality for the utilization of 3,4-epoxy alcohols as precursors for stereoselective polypropionate synthesis.

Regioselective Cleavage of 3,4-Epoxy Alcohols with Substituted Alkynylaluminum Reagents: Application to the Stereoselective Synthesis of Polypropionates

The reaction of 3-O-substituted propynyl aluminum reagents with a TIPS-protected 2,3-epoxy alcohol and several diastereomeric 2-methyl-3,4-epoxy alcohols offers a convenient synthetic approach for the subsequent preparation and epoxidation of allylic alcohols. The yields are low to moderate and the regioselectivity (internal vs external attack) similar to that of the standard diethylpropynyl aluminum reagent. The TMS-acetylide alane reagent gives improved yields and good regioselectivity, and constitutes the reagent of choice for the cleavage of the hindered epoxides. This attractive methodology is applied to the elaboration of two advanced polypropionate precursor fragments.

A unified synthetic approach to polyketides having both skeletal and stereochemical diversity

An efficient systematic approach to the diversity-oriented synthesis of polyketides has been developed to provide both skeletal and stereochemical diversity. Each synthetic intermediate is also a desired polyketide fragment and no protecting group manipulations are required. A first-generation synthesis provides a 74-membered polyketide library comprising six different skeletal classes, each in one to five steps from propargylic alcohol precursors. A study of epoxyol opening reactions revealed unusual reactivity trends based on epoxide configuration.

An Aluminum Ate Base: Its Design, Structure, Function, and Reaction Mechanism

An aluminum ate base, i-Bu(3)Al(TMP)Li, has been designed and developed for regio- and chemoselective direct generation of functionalized aromatic aluminum compounds. Direct alumination followed by electrophilic trapping with I(2), Cu/Pd-catalyzed C-C bond formation, or direct oxidation with molecular O(2) proved to be a powerful tool for the preparation of 1,2- or 1,2,3-multisubstituted aromatic compounds. This deprotonative alumination using i-Bu3Al(TMP)Li was found to be effective in aliphatic chemistry as well, enabling regio- and chemoselective addition of functionalized allylic ethers and carbamates to aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes. A combined multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and theoretical study showed that the aluminum ate base is a Li/Al bimetallic complex bridged by the nitrogen atom of TMP and the alpha-carbon of an i-Bu ligand and that the Li exclusively serves as a recognition point for electronegative functional groups or coordinative solvents. The mechanism of directed ortho alumination reaction of functionalized aromatic compounds has been studied by NMR and in situ FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray analysis, and DFT calculation. It has been found that the reaction proceeds with facile formation of an initial adduct of the base and aromatic, followed by deprotonative formation of the functionalized aromatic aluminum compound. Deprotonation by the TMP ligand rather than the isobutyl ligand was suggested and reasoned by means of spectroscopic and theoretical study. The remarkable regioselectivity of the ortho alumination reaction was explained by a coordinative approximation effect between the functional groups and the counter Li(+) ion, enabling stable initial complex formation and creation of a less strained transition state structure.

Regioselective and divergent opening of vinyl epoxides with ethoxyacetylene

A divergent protocol for nucleophilic opening of vinyl epoxides with ethoxyacetylide has been developed and demonstrated to give complete regioselectivity depending on reaction conditions.

R3Al-R'3SiOTf: novel and powerful reagent system for stereospecific alkylation-silylation reactions of epoxides

[reaction: see text] A novel and powerful reagent system R(3)Al-R'(3)SiOTf for the one-pot alkylation-silylation reaction of epoxides was discovered, and the reactions of various epoxides with the new reagent system have been demonstrated to occur stereospecifically giving rise to the corresponding alkylation-silylation products in excellent yields.