The Wittig Reaction in Industrial Practice

The effects of a scientific discovery on industrial practice are illustrated with reference to the Wittig reaction. The aim of utilizing the Wittig reaction of linking terpenoid building blocks to give vitamin A and carotenoids on an industrial scale prompted extensive research and development work of a synthetic and chemical engineering nature. The importance of the Wittig reaction and its variants in the synthesis of active compounds and fine chemicals in industrial research is demonstrated in the present article.     

A convergent synthesis of the immunosuppressant FTY720 employing aqueous Wittig chemistry

A short, convergent synthesis of the immunosuppressant FTY720 is described involving the use of 4-hydroxymethylbenzaldehyde as a pivotal intermediate. A double Wittig strategy was developed to connect this dual-functional aldehyde with an alkyl-tether and to a readily available TRIS-derivative leading to an efficient synthesis of the target molecule.     

氮杂Wittig反应的最近进展

综述了最近几年氮杂Wittig反应的研究进展,包括分子间氮杂Wittig反应、分子内氮杂wittig反应及串联的氮杂Wittig反应。讨论了氮杂Wittig反应在一些含氮杂环、稠杂环及天然产物合成中的应用。     

An improved synthesis of resveratrol

In this article we report an improved total synthesis of resveratrol, increasing the overall yield from 22 to 71%. The synthesis reported in our previous publication was made up of two fundamental steps: a Wittig reaction and a Heck coupling. Here we studied these steps separately to increase the individual yields. The yield of the Wittig reaction was increased up to 98%; however, we could not find better reaction conditions for the Heck coupling than those reported in the previous article.     

Stereoselective total synthesis of (+)-artemisinin

The total synthesis of the novel antimalarial drug, a sesquiterpene endoperoxide, (+)-artemisinin is described. The approach is flexible and stereoselective. The use of an intermolecular radical reaction on an intermediate iodolactone and a Wittig reaction on a ketone were employed for the synthesis.     

Total synthesis of (+)-discodermolide: a highly convergent fourth-generation approach

[structure: see text] A highly convergent, fourth-generation total synthesis of (+)-discodermolide (1), with a longest linear sequence of 17 steps and an overall yield of 9.0%, has been achieved. Highlighting the strategy is the efficient construction and sequential, bidirectional union of a linchpin comprising the C(9)-C(14) Wittig salt-vinyl iodide (-)-18. Importantly, Wittig salt generation proceeded in excellent yield under ambient pressure.     

A short synthesis of the anti-leukemic sesquiterpene (+)-caparratriene employing aqueous Wittig chemistry

An efficient, stereoselective method for the synthesis of (+)-caparratriene based on an aqueous Wittig reaction has been developed. A functionalized triethylallyl ylide reacted under various conditions with (+)-citronellal to deliver (+)-caparratriene in only three steps with excellent overall yield. The Wittig reaction proceeded with exclusive (4E)-selectivity and an interesting cationic effect was uncovered with good stereoselectivity at the isomerizable allylic position being observed in the presence of lithium salts.     

Synthesis of unsaturated organotrifluoroborates via Wittig and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination

The stereoselective synthesis of unsaturated organotrifluoroborates by using the Wittig and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination is described. These reactions were general for both alkyl- and aryltrifluoroborates. The synthesis of di- and trisubstituted olefins was achieved by using formyl- and acetyl-substituted organotrifluoroborates. The products were isolated in moderate to excellent yield. The Wittig reaction with nonstabilized ylides was performed under salt free conditions in most cases to obtain the Z-isomer. The E-isomer was accessed by using preformed stabilized ylides. The Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction also gave the E-isomer as expected.     

A direct synthesis of neocryptolepine and isocryptolepine

A formal synthesis of indolequinoline alkaloid neocryptolepine and isocryptolepine is described which employed a common intermediate and used an intramolecular Wittig reaction followed by regioselective methylation in excellent yield.     

Synthèse de l'analogue sélénié de la sérotonine

Starting from 2-bromo-5-methoxyacetophenone, an unambiguous synthesis of the selenium analog of serotonine is described with a 25% overall yield. Application of the Wittig reaction to selenoindoxyls appears to be a successful pathway to products of this nature.     

Studies toward the synthesis of roseophilin: lactam formation and Wittig/aldol methodology

In this communication, we introduce our retrosynthetic approach to the synthesis of roseophilin. An interesting, new Wittig/aldol methodology is described. Also discussed is macrocyclization of an azide acid to form an unsaturated lactam.     

Iminophosphorane-mediated synthesis of 1-acyl-β-carbolines: A new access to the alkaloids eudistomin T, S and xestomanzamine A of marine origin

New syntheses of the alkaloids eudistomin T and S are described. The key step, formation of the 1-phenylacetyl β- carboline, involves a tandem aza Wittig / electrocyclic ring closure process. The first synthesis of the alkaloid xestomanzamine A is achieved by coupling of a N-protected harmane, now available via aza Wittig / electrocyclic ring closure process, with a 5-lithioimidazole derivative.     

The first total synthesis of +-ratjadone

The first total synthesis of ratjadone was achieved using a highly convergent approach joining three subunits together with a Wittig olefination and a selective Heck reaction as the pivotal steps. Besides establishing a robust and reliable route for the synthesis of this orphan ligand, the configuration of unknown stereocenters could also be determined. This synthesis not only provides an additional access to a biologically important compound but also enables the synthesis of structural analogues for biological target identification.     

Synthesis of 1-perfluoroalkynyl phosphonates

Intramolecular Wittig reaction is extended to the synthesis of 1-perfluoroalkynyl phosphonates.     

Studies towards the total synthesis of Phostriecin

A synthetic approach toward the phostriecin, an antitumor natural product is described. The key features of the present synthesis are Wittig reaction, synthesis of homoallylic alcohol using Brown’s protocol (alkoxyallylboration) and RCM for the creation of unsaturated lactone moiety of phostriecin.     

Scalable total synthesis of horsfiequinone A

Starting from two commercially available substrates, methoxyhydroquinone and piperonyl alcohol, a scalable four-step total synthesis of horsfiequinone A was developed. The notable feature of the synthesis is the application of two continuous sequential transformations. Namely, the key aldehyde 9 and horsfiequinone A were prepared via scalable Wittig/hydrolysis and Wittig/catalytic hydrogenation/oxidation sequences, respectively. Importantly, the synthetic route required only three recrystallizations and one column chromatography purification step.     

Chemistry of diazocarbonyl compounds: XXX. Development of a synthetic approach to pyridazine structure via wittig reaction of fluoroalkyl-containing diazo keto esters

3,4,6-Trisubstituted pyridazines were synthesized from fluoroalkyl-containing diazo keto esters in three steps along two different reaction sequences: (1) Wittig, Staudinger, and diaza-Wittig and (2) Staudinger, Wittig, and diaza-Wittig. According to the first of these with the initial Wittig reaction, the yield of the target 4-fluoroalkyl-substituted pyridazines is almost twice as large as in the reaction sequence involving the corresponding N-phosphanylidene derivatives as intermediates. In both sequences, the final steps (synthesis of vinylphosphazenes and the subsequent diaza-Wittig reaction) occurred as a tandem process, and intermediate vinylphosphazenes could not be isolated. Non-fluorinated diazo keto esters and the respective phosphazenes failed to react with alkoxycarbonylmethylidene(triphenyl)phosphoranes under the same conditions.     

Facile enantiospecific synthesis of (+)-iso-cladospolide B

Enantiospecific synthesis of bio-active butenolide (+)-iso-cladospolide B from d-(?)-tartaric acid in a short synthetic sequence is presented. Pivotal reaction sequence includes cross metathesis of an alkene and Wittig olefination.     

Azaprostanoids I. Synthesis of (RAC)-8-aza-11-deoxy-15-deoxy-16-hydroxy-16-methylprostaglandins

A total synthesis of the title compounds by employing a stereo-selective Wittig reaction is described.     

Synthesis of a key intermediate of novel galbonolide analogues via efficient construction of a conjugated diene system

The development of an efficient synthetic method enabled multi-gram synthesis of a key intermediate, which is useful for the modification at the C6-functional group of galbonolide analogues. The structure of a key intermediate including a conjugated diene was afforded by Horner-Emmons reaction, alkylation of Weinreb amide with alkyl lithium and a subsequent Wittig reaction.