The rhodophytin and chondriol natural products; structures of several new acetylenes from laurencia, and a reassignment of structure for cis-rhodophytin

The structures of five new halogenated vinyl acetylenes are described which are natural products from various species of the red seaweed Laurencia. The structure of epoxyrhodophytin (1) was determined by spectral, chemical, and X-ray diffraction analyses. The structures of trans-rhodophytin (5) and trans-chondriol (8) are based on chemical and spectral comparisons with the previously reported compounds cis-rhodophytin (4) and cis-chondriol (7). The structures of cis-chondrin (14) and trans-chondrin (15) were secured by synthesis from cis- and trans-chondriol, respectively. The reactivity of these enol-ethers to various conditions of catalytic hydrogenation has been examined in detail. Hydrogenation yields an unexpected and facile incorporation of oxygen into the reaction products. Based upon these studies, and upon combustion analysis, the structure of rhodophytin has been revised as the vinyl ether rather than the vinyl peroxide originally proposed.