Stereoselective synthesis of bicyclic tetrahydrofuran-fused β-lactams and their conversion into methyl cis-3-aminotetrahydrofuran-2-carboxylates

cis-3-Benzyloxy-4-(2-mesyloxyethyl)azetidin-2-ones were shown to be useful starting products for the synthesis of cis-2-oxa-6-azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptan-7-ones in high overall yields and purity upon hydrogenolysis of the benzyl ether substituent followed by intramolecular nucleophilic substitution using sodium hydride in THF. These unconventionally C-fused bicyclic β-lactams were easily converted into the corresponding methyl cis-3-aminotetrahydrofuran-2-carboxylates via acidic methanolysis. This methodology constitutes a convenient alternative for the known preparation of cis-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxa-6-azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptan-7-ones and methyl cis-3-amino-4,4-dimethyltetrahydrofuran-2-carboxylates, as their 4,4-nor-dimethyl variants are usually considered to be more promising compounds within the field of drug design.     

A new general approach for the stereocontrolled synthesis of functionalised γ- and δ-lactams

A new flexible approach for the stereoselective synthesis of substituted 1H-pyrrol-2(5H)-ones and 3,6-dihydro-1H-pyridin-2-ones has been developed. The general strategy employed the stereoselective reduction of a series of α,β-unsaturated ketones under chelation control to give the corresponding allylic alcohols. Overman rearrangement to install the key C-N bond followed by conversion to either prop-2-enoyl or but-3-enoyl derivatives and a ring closing metathesis reaction gave the target unsaturated γ- and δ-lactams. The synthetic utility of these compounds as building blocks was demonstrated by the preparation of the N-Boc derivative of (-)-coniine.     

Application of a one-pot lipase resolution strategy for the synthesis of chiral γ- and δ-lactones

A successful one-pot reduction of γ-ketoesters, δ-ketoesters and lactones to the corresponding 1,4- and 1,5-diols followed by a lipase catalyzed kinetic resolution coupled with hydrolysis to afford optically active diols is described. The synthetic utility of this one-pot method was illustrated by the oxidation of these chiral diols to respective chiral γ-butyrolactone and δ-lactones. Lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia, immobilized on ceramic afforded the product with high enantiomeric excess in good yields under mild reaction conditions. This approach has been used to develop a convenient enantioselective route for several γ- and δ-lactones using achiral and corresponding racemic starting material.     

2-Isopropylbenzimidazole and 2-methylbenzimidazole as bulky proton sources: Stereoselective protonation and application to the synthesis of γ- and δ-lactones

2-Isopropylbenzimidazole and 2-methylbenzimidazole have been found to be effective bulky proton sources for stereoselective protonation of chiral enolate anions. 2-Isopropylbenzimidazole worked in the stereoselective protonation of the Birch reduction of chiral α,β-unsaturated imides. On the other hand, 2-methylbenzimidazole was found to be the best protonation reagent in the isomerization reaction of α,β-unsaturated imide into β,γ-unsaturated imide. The Birch reduction using 2-isopropylbenzimidazole realized a concise and stereoselective synthesis of δ-lactone 14, a sex pheromone of Macrocentrus grandii, while the isomerization reaction using 2-methylbenzimidazole was employed in the highly stereoselective synthesis of the γ-lactone intermediate in the synthesis of depsipeptide antibiotics. These bulky proton sources would be powerful tools to achieve a concise synthesis of natural products.     

Synthesis of γ-sulfonyl δ-lactones and β-sulfonyl styrenes

A facile route to the synthesis of γ-sulfonyl lactones 5 and β-sulfonyl styrenes 6 has been developed, achieving moderate to good yields via the (1) NaH mediated Michael addition of β-ketosulfones 3 and methyl acrylate in refluxing THF and (2) NaBH₄ mediated stereoselective reduction/lactonization of δ-ketoesters 4 in boiling MeOH, or (3) boron trifluoride etherate mediated ring-opening of lactones 5 in MeOH at reflux.     

Microbial bioreductions of γ- and δ-ketoacids and their esters

A series of yeasts were used in the bioreductions of aliphatic and aromatic γ- and δ-ketoacids and esters to investigate the preparation of enantiomerically pure γ- and δ-lactones through the intermediacy of their corresponding γ- and δ-hydroxyacids and esters. Bioreduction of ethyl 4-oxononanoate 2a with Pichia etchellsii afforded the γ-nonanolide (+)-5a with 99% e.e., while Pichia minuta proved to be the best choice for the bioreduction of ethyl 2-oxocyclohexylacetate 2e, which afforded cis-(−)-5e and trans-(−)-5e with 98 and 99% e.e., respectively. Reduction of 3-(2-oxocyclohexyl)propionic acid 3e with Pichia glucozyma gave predominantly the corresponding δ-lactone trans-(−)-6e with 94% e.e., whose absolute configuration was determined by means of CD spectroscopy.     

Asymmetric synthesis of 2-alkyl-substituted 2-hydroxyglutaric acid γ-lactones

3-Alkyl-1,2-cyclopentanediones 1 are transformed into 2-alkyl-2-hydroxyglutaric acid γ-lactones 3 in up to 83% isolated yields and up to 96% ee, affording a simple access to many bioactive compounds, including diacylglycerol lactones (DAG-lactones).     

Triclorosilane-mediated stereoselective synthesis of β-amino esters and their conversion to highly enantiomerically enriched β-lactams

A highly stereoselective trichlorosilane-mediated reduction of N-benzyl enamines was developed; the combination of a low cost, easy to make metal-free catalyst and an inexpensive chiral auxiliary allowed to perform the reaction on substrates with different structural features often with total control of the stereoselectivity. By easy deprotection through hydrogenolysis followed by conversion of β-aminoester to 2-azetidinones, the synthesis of enantiomerically pure β-lactams (>98% e.e.) was successfully accomplished.     

Baker's yeast reduction of cyclic δ-ketoesters: synthesis and chiroptical properties of condensed δ-lactones

Enantiomerically pure condensed δ-lactones have been prepared from the corresponding δ-ketoesters by the use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The reactions were not only highly enantioselective but also highly diastereoselective, provided the baker's yeast was preincubated at 50°C for 30 min. Interestingly, and contrary to what is usually found, the use of nutrients inhibited the bioreductions. The relative configurational assignments have been made by means of NMR, while the absolute configurations and conformations of the lactone rings were attributed by means of CD studies.     

Stereoselective synthesis of erythro-β-chloroamines and their conversion into functionalized trans-oxazolidin-2-ones

New erythro-β-chloroamines were synthesized by a mild and efficient stereoselective chlorination of unprotected amino alcohol diesters. These products are shown to be excellent building blocks for the synthesis of new substituted trans-oxazolidin-2-ones.     

Synthesis of γ-lactones by desymmetrization. A synthesis of (−)-muricatacin

A short synthesis of the natural potent cytotoxic agent (−)-muricatacin 1 and related unsaturated lactones from a versatile common intermediate, dienedioate 2, derived from d-mannitol or tartaric acid, is described. The strategy depends upon the desymmetrization of 7 by dihydroxylation and elaboration of the hydroxy alkyl sidechain. A route to unsaturated lactones is also described using a cis selective Wittig reaction. Since the enantiomers of 2 are available from the corresponding tartaric acids, this method provides access to both enantiomers of the described compounds and a wide range of derivatives.     

α-Fluoroacrylonitriles: Horner-Wittig synthesis and conversion into 2-fluoroallylamines and C-(1-fluorovinyl)nitrones

α-Fluoroacrylonitriles 2 were synthesized in moderate to good yields by Horner-Wittig (HW) reaction of aldehydes and ketones with (diphenylphosphinoyl)fluoroacetonitrile (1), prepared in situ from commercially available fluoroacetonitrile and diphenylphosphinyl chloride. New synthetic applications of 2 are presented with the one-pot conversion into 2-fluoroallylamines 6 and C-(1-fluorovinyl)nitrones 8 through a diisobutylaluminum hydride (DIBALH)-reduction transimination protocol. The scope and limitations of this procedure are discussed.     

Stereoselective synthesis and characterization of novel trans-4-(thiophenyl)pyrazolyl-β-lactams and their C–3 functionalization

A stereoselective synthesis and C–3 functionalization of a long series of novel hybrid 4-(thiophenyl)pyrazolyl-β-lactams have been carried out. The divergent substrate scope and mechanistic insights were examined to delineate the generality of reaction that favored trans-β-lactams 4a-q almost exclusively in all cases. The C–3 functionalization was achieved by Lewis acid assisted nucleophilic substitution reaction of cis-3-chloro-β-lactams 6a-e to afford cis-3-monosubstituted-β-lactams 7a-e. The cis stereochemistry of β-lactams 7a-e was further established by stereospecific desulfurization with Raney-nickel, in representative cases (7a,b), leading to the formation of cis-β-lactams 8a,b. The structures and stereochemical assignments for synthesized β-lactams have been unambiguously confirmed using FT-IR, 1D NMR (¹H and ¹³C), 2D NMR (¹H–¹H COSY, ¹H–¹³C HSQC and ¹³C DEPT–135), elemental analysis (CHN), mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and single crystal X-ray crystallography, in representative cases (4b,e). The cis and trans configuration of the hydrogen/chloro/nucleophile substituent at C–3 was assigned with respect C4–H of the β-lactam ring.     

Asymmetric synthesis of 4-formyl-1-(ω-haloalkyl)-β-lactams and their transformation to functionalized piperazines and 1,4-diazepanes

Chiral piperazine and 1,4-diazepane annulated β-lactams, prepared from the corresponding (3R,4S)-4-imidoyl-1-(ω-haloalkyl)azetidin-2-ones through reduction with sodium borohydride in ethanol, were transformed into novel methyl (R)-alkoxy-[(S)-piperazin-2-yl]acetates and methyl (R)-alkoxy-[(S)-1,4-diazepan-2-yl]acetates upon treatment with hydrogen chloride in methanol. On the other hand, bromination of (3R,4R)-1-allyl-4-formyl-β-lactams and (3R,4S)-1-allyl-4-imidoyl-β-lactams in dichloromethane, followed by sodium borohydride reduction of the resulting dibrominated azetidin-2-ones in ethanol, did not afford the envisaged bicyclic β-lactams but unexpectedly furnished (3R,4S)-1-(2-bromo-2-propenyl)azetidin-2-ones instead.     

(R)-2,3-Cyclohexylideneglyceraldehyde, a novel template for facile and simple entry into chiral hydroxy γ-lactones: synthesis of (−)-muricatacin

(R)-2,3-Cyclohexylideneglyceraldehyde 1 has been used in a simple and efficient synthesis of (−)-muricatacin 10. The required chiron, syn-alkanetriol 2a was prepared by the reduction of a ketone 3 derived from 1.