Conversion of 1,4-diketones into para-disubstituted benzenes

Reaction of acetylides with aldehydes to form but-2-yne-1,4-diols, followed by triple bond reduction and oxidation of the hydroxyl groups, gives 1,4-diketones; these react with vinyllithium, and the resulting diols undergo ring-closing metathesis to form 2-cyclohexene-1,4-diols. Dehydration, usually by acid treatment, then gives benzenes carrying substituents in a 1,4 relationship. Use of substituted vinyllithiums provides further substitution on the final benzene rings. The method can be applied to the synthesis of C5-aryl carbohydrates.     

Highly stereoselective approach to alk-2-yne-1,4-diols by oxazaborolidine-mediated reduction of alk-2-yne-1,4-diones

We performed the borane-mediated reduction of a series of symmetrical alk-2-yne-1,4-diones (5) in the presence of the oxazaborolidine (R)-6 to afford (R,R)-alk-2-yne-1,4-diols ((R,R)-1) in good yields and high stereoselectivities (up to 99.9% ee). In some cases, the stereochemical purity of 1 was improved by a two-step process: (i) temporary transformation of 1 into its vic-dibromo derivatives 9, which allowed us to remove the minor meso isomer by chromatography, and (ii) regeneration of the enantioenriched diols 1 with SmI2. Reduction of the hexacarbonyldicobalt complexes 8 derived from 5 was also successful.     

N-Halo succinimide-promoted one-pot three-component electrophilic cyclization: Facile access to dihalogenated heterocycles under mild conditions

An effective and concise electrophilic cyclization of 1,4-butynediols, 4-aminobut-2-yn-1-ols, pent-2-yne-1,5-diols, 2-propynolphenols and 2-propynolanilines with N-halo succinimides and trimethylsilyl halides opens a one-pot synthetic access to five- and six-membered dihalogenated heterocycles in moderate to good yields. The optimized cyclization conditions are tolerated with many functional groups.     

Silver triflate catalyzed tandem heterocyclization/alkynylation of 1-((2-tosylamino)aryl)but-2-yne-1,4-diols to 2-alkynyl indoles

Don't cross me! 2-Alkynyl indoles were prepared efficiently by the AgOTf-catalyzed tandem heterocyclization/alkynylation of 1-(2-tosylamino)aryl)but-2-yne-1,4-diols under mild conditions (see scheme). The attractiveness of this approach lies in the fact that both the indole ring and alkyne side chain of the N-heterocycle are sequentially formed from low cost, readily available, and ecologically benign starting materials. It also provides the first route to this synthetically valuable class of compounds that is not based on a cross-coupling strategy.     

Brønsted Acid-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of But-2-yne-1,4-diols with or without 1,3-Dicarbonyl Compounds to Tri- and Tetrasubstituted Furans

A Br?nsted acid-catalyzed method to prepare tri- and tetrasubstituted furans efficiently from cycloisomerization of but-2-yne-1,4-diols with or without 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds is described. By taking advantage of the orthogonal modes of reactivity of the alcoholic substrate through slight modification of the reaction conditions, a divergence in product selectivity was observed. At room temperature, p-TsOH·H(2)O-mediated tandem alkylation/cycloisomerization of the propargylic 1,4-diol with the β-dicarbonyl compound was found to selectively occur to provide the tetrasubstituted furan product. On the other hand, increasing the reaction temperature to 80 °C was discovered to result in preferential p-TsOH·H(2)O-catalyzed dehydrative rearrangement of the unsaturated alcohol and formation of the 2,3,5-trisubstituted furan adduct.     

Selective oxidation of acetylenic 1,4-diols with dioxiranes in comparison with the methyltrioxorhenium-hydrogen peroxide oxidant

Dimethyldioxirane (1a) and its trifluoro analog (1b) were employed to achieve selectively the direct transformation of hex-3-yne-2,5-diol 3a and 1,4-diphenyl-but-2yne-1,4-diol 3b (two representative acetylenic 1,4-diols) into the corresponding carbonyls, leaving the carbon-carbon triple bond moiety untouched. The results are compared with those recorded in the analogous oxidation using the methyltrioxorhenium (MTO)/85% H₂O₂ homogeneous system. The powerful methyl(trifluoromethyl)dioxirane (1b) is the reagent of choice to achieve optimum yields of the target alkyne-1,4-diones, which are extremely versatile synthons.     

Iridium-catalyzed consecutive and enantioselective [2+2+2] cycloaddition of tetraynes and hexaynes for the construction of an axially chiral biaryl system

A chiral iridium complex catalyzed a consecutive and enantioselective [2+2+2] cycloaddition of polyynes to give axially chiral compounds. Intermolecular reaction of tetraynes, possessing aryl groups on their termini, with protected but-2-yne-1,4-diols gave C₂-symmetrical quateraryl compounds. Intramolecular reaction of hexaynes, possessing aryl or alkyl groups on their termini gave C₂-symmetrical biaryl compounds. The catalytic synthesis of a pentacene derivative with axial chiralities is also discussed.     

Chelation-Controlled Regioselection in Palladium-Catalyzed Carbonyl Allylation by 4-Pentene-1,3-Diol or Its Cyclic Carbonate

With cat. PdCl₂(PhCN)₂ and SnCl₂, 4-pentene-1,3-diol caused regioselective carbonyl allylation at 3-position in DMF to produce 2-substituted 3-vinyltetrahydrofurans and/or 1-substituted 2-vinylbutane-1,4-diols, and cyclic carbonate of 4-pentene-1,3-diol caused regioselective carbonyl allylation at terminal 5-position in THF to produce 1-substituted 3-hexene-1,6-diols.     

Synthesis and certain transformations of 2,3-dibromobut-2-ene-1,4-diylbis(dialkylamines)

Bromination of but-2-yne-1,4-diylbis(diaikylamines) was used to synthesize previously inaccessible 2,3-dibromobut-2-ene-1,4-diylbis(dialkylamines). Certain transformations of the products were accomplished.     

Cycloalumination of allylbenzenes with triethylaluminum in the presence of Cp<Subscript>2</Subscript>ZrCl<Subscript>2</Subscript>. One-pot synthesis of 2-benzylbutane-1,4-diols as precursors of dibenzylbutane lignans

One-pot synthesis of 2-[(hydroxy- and methoxyphenyl)methyl]butane-1,4-diols in an overall yield of 60–65% by cycloalumination of allylbenzenes (4-allyl-1-methoxybenzene, 4-allyl-1,2-dimethoxybenzene, 5-allyl-2-methoxyphenol, and 5-allyl-1,2,3-trimethoxybenzene) with triethylaluminum in the presence of Cp₂ZrCl₂ is reported for the first time. The developed procedure opens a new synthetic route to practically important β-substituted butane-1,4-diols that are precursors to dibenzylbutane lignans.     

Synthesis of Mixed Aryl 2,3-Diarylsulphanyl-1,4-naphthoquinones

The reaction of 2-arylsulphanyl-1,4-napththoquinone with aromatic thiols and sodium dithionate leads to bis-2,3-(arylsulphanyl)naphthalene-1,4-diols in high yield. Corresponding oxidized products, namely 2,3-diarylsulphanyl-1,4-naphthoquinones, are prepared in near quantitative yield by a copper(II)-catalyzed aerial oxidation reaction of bis-2,3-(arylsulphanyl)naphthalene-1,4-diols under mild condition.     

Asymmetric desymmetrization based on an intramolecular haloetherification: a highly effective and recyclable chiral nonracemic auxiliary, 2-exo-methyl-3-endo-phenyl-5-norbornene-2-carboxaldehyde, for meso-1,3- and meso-1,4-diols

A new chiral auxiliary, a 3-endo-phenyl norbornene aldehyde derivative, which is a crystalline, very stable, and easily handled, was developed for the desymmetrization of meso-1,3- and meso-1,4-diols. The key step of the method, an intramolecular bromoetherification, proceeded in a highly diastereoselective manner. A four-step sequence, 1) acetalization, 2) intramolecular bromoetherification followed by acid hydrolysis, 3) protection of the alcohol, and 4) retrobromoetherification, transformed the meso-diols into optically active derivatives. The 3-endo-phenyl norbornene aldehyde derivative was simultaneously reformed and could be used repeatedly. This is the first chemical example of a single auxiliary that is applicable for highly enantioselective desymmetrization of meso-1,3- and meso-1,4-diols; to the best of our knowledge, this is the best chemical method available for the desymmetrization of meso-1,4-diols.     

Isolation of Toxic and Potentially Toxic Sesqui- and Monoterpenes from the Tropical Green Seaweed Caulerpa taxifolia Which Has Invaded the Region of Cap Martin and Monaco

The green seaweed Caulerpa taxifolia (VAHL ) C. AGARDH (Caulerpales), which, after its recent accidental introduction, is growing in the region of Cap Martin much more vigorously than in the tropics, is shown to contain the known sesquiterpenic toxins caulerpenyne ( 1 ) – in larger amounts than in tropical Caulerpales – and oxytoxin 1 ( 2 ). Novel, potentially toxic products isolated in small amounts from this seaweed include the sesquiterpenes taxifolial A ( = (5E)-6,10-dimethyl-2-[(E)2-oxoethylidene]undeca-5,9-dien-7- yne-1,3-diyl diacetate; 3 ), taxifolial B (= (1E,6E,10E)-3-[( Z )-acetoxymethylidene]-7, 11-dimethyl-12-oxododeca-1,6,10-trien-8-yne-1,4-diyl diacetate; 4 ), 10,11-epoxycaulerpenyne ( = (1E,6E)-3-[(Z)-acetoxymethylidene]-10,11-epoxy-7, 11-dimethyldodeca-1,6-dien-8-yne-1,4-diyl diacetate; 1:1 diastereoisomer mixture; 5 ), and taxifolial C ( = (2Z,6E)-3-formyl-7,11-dimethyldodeca-2,6,10-trien-8-yne-1,1, 4-triyl triacetate; 6 ), besides, as the first example of a monoterpene from the Caulerpales, taxifolial D ( = (2Z)-3,7-dimethylocta-2, 6-dien-4-ynal; 7 ).     

Asymmetric Induction via an Intramolecular Haloetherification Reaction of Chiral Ene Acetals: A Novel Approach to Optically Active 1,4- and 1,5-Diols

An asymmetric synthesis of chiral 1,4- and 1,5-diols has been developed from the ene acetals 1a and 1c, prepared from the corresponding aldehydes and chiral C(2)-symmetric diols, involving remote asymmetric induction as a key step. In the first step, treatment of 1 with I(coll)(2)ClO(4) in the presence of an alcohol afforded the macrocyclic acetals (3-5 and 7) in a highly stereoselective manner. Subsequent nucleophilic substitution of iodide followed by a Grignard reaction with complete retention of stereochemistry and a final deprotection of the diphenylethylene or diphenylpropylene unit successfully gave optically active 1,4- and 1,5-diols in good yields.     

3-Chloropropyl and 4-chlorobutyl phenyl ethers as sources of 1, 3-dilithiopropane and 1,4-dilithiobutane: sequential reaction with carbonyl compounds

The reaction of 3-chloropropyl and 4-chlorobutyl phenyl ethers (1) with lithium powder and a catalytic amount of DTBB (5% molar) in THF at -78 degrees C followed by successive treatment with a carbonyl compound [R(1)R(2)CO = Bu(t)CHO, Me(2)CO, (CH(2))(5)CO, (-)-menthone] at -78 to 20 degrees C and, after 1.5 h at this temperature, with a second one [R(3)R(4)CO = Bu(t)CHO, PhCHO, Me(2)CO, MeCOPr(n), (CH(2))(5)CO, (-)-menthone] at -78 degrees C leads, after hydrolysis with water, to the corresponding 1,5- and 1, 6-diols (2). Because of the competition of two different reductive cleavages, 1,4- and 1,5-diols 3 were also obtained as side-reaction products.     

Facile microwave-mediated transformations of 2-butene-1,4-diones and 2-butyne-1,4-diones to furan derivatives

Several di- and triarylfuran derivatives were prepared in high yields from but-2-ene-1,4-diones/but-2-yne-1,4-diones using formic acid in the presence of a catalytic amount of palladium on carbon and in poly(ethylene glycol)-200 medium in a one-pot operation under microwave irradiation (1-5 min).     

Reactions of but-2-yne-1,4-diylbis(triphenylphosphonium) dihalides with SH- and NH-nucleophiles

But-2-yne-1,4-diylbis(triphenylphosphonium) diiodide reacts with 2-sulfanylethan-1-ol in the presence of triethylamine to form a 1 : 1 adduct. Under similar conditions, ethane-, butane- and 2-methylbutane- 1-thiols form [4-(alkylsulfanyl)buta-1,3-dien-1-yl]triphenylphosphonium iodides, probably via β-cleavage of the original salt involving vinylethynyl intermediate. Features of the reaction of but-2-ynebisphosphonium salt with 3,5-dimethylpyrazole, hydrazine and its derivatives have been studied.     

Synthesis of Cis- and Trans-1-methylcyclohexane-1,4-diols and Their 4-Hemisuccinate Esters

Stereoselective syntheses of the previously uncharacterized cis- and trans-1-methylcyclohexane-1,4-diols and their conversion to 4-hemisuccinate esters are described.     

Lipase-catalyzed monoprotection of 1,4-diols in an organic solvent using vinyl benzoate as acyl transfer agent

Lipase from Mucor miehei (MML) has been selected as the most suitable enzyme to catalyze the efficient monobenzoylation of 1,4-diols using vinyl benzoate as acyl transfer reagent in tert-butyl methyl ether. The regioselectivity of the monobenzoylation of 2-substituted-1,4-diols has been studied as well.     

Calculation of electric dipole intensity parameter to explore some interaction between hard metal ions Pr(III) and Nd(III) with pi-electron density of butene-1,4 and butyne-1,4-diols in non-aqueous solutions: an absorption spectral study

Pr(III) and Nd(III) are hard acceptors in HSAB (hard and soft acid base) sense and hence are known to exhibit practically a little affinity towards electrons. At the same time these metal ions show strong preference for oxygen donor chelating ligands. The ligands chosen for this study are structurally related diols, viz. butane-1,4, butene-1,4 and butyne-1,4-diols which form identical seven membered chelate ring by coordinating to metals in a bidentate manner through oxygen on 1 and 4 positions of the diol molecules. Complexation of these diols with Pr(III) and Nd(III) was carried out in DMF, CH3OH, CH3CN and their equimolar binary mixtures using comparative absorption spectrophotometry of 4f-4f transitions. The variation of oscillator strengths (P) of different 4f-4f bands as well as the magnitude and variation of Judd-Ofelt electric dipole intensity parameters (T lambda, lambda = 2, 4, 6) was discussed. They correlate the interaction between the metal 4f-orbitals of Pr(III) and Nd(III) with the pi-electron densities of the double and triple bonds present in butene-1,4 and butyne-1,4-diols, respectively. The value of empirical intensity parameter [T lambda(complex)/T lambda (aquo)] was calculated and its plot against oscillator strength (P) is drawn.