A New Route to Vitamin E Key‐Intermediates by Olefin Cross‐Metathesis

Ru‐Catalyzed olefin cross‐metathesis (CM) has been successfully applied to the synthesis of several phytyl derivatives ( 2b, 2d – f, 3b ) with a trisubstituted C?C bond, as useful intermediates for an alternative route to α‐tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E acetate; 1b ) (Scheme 1). Using the second‐generation Grubbs catalyst RuCl₂(C₂₁H₂₆N₂)(CHPh)PCy₃ (Cy = cyclohexyl; 4a ) and Hoveyda–Grubbs catalyst RuCl₂(C₂₁H₂₆N₂){CH‐C₆H₄(O‐ⁱPr)‐2} ( 4b ), the reactions were performed with various C‐allyl ( 5a – f, 7a,b ) and O‐allyl ( 8a – d ) derivatives of trimethylhydroquinone‐1‐acetate as substrates. 2,6,10,14‐Tetramethylpentadec‐1‐ene ( 6a ) and derivatives 6c – e of phytol ( 6b ) as well as phytal ( 6f ) were employed as olefin partners for the CM reactions (Schemes 2 and 5). The vitamin E precursors could be prepared in up to 83% isolated yield as (E/Z)‐mixtures.