Polymenthylenebiphenyl polyanions by metallation—elimination

The 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylenebiphenyl tetraanion, prepared in good yield by metallation-elimination, gives tetrasubstituted biphenyl derivatives, e.g., with H₂O, D₂O, methyl iodide, and trimethylsilyl chloride. The reaction sequence, starting from alkylated cyclohexanones, provides a general synthetic route to symmetrical polysubstituted biphenyls.     

A case of highly diastereoselective addition to unsymmetrical ketones: lk-addition of (2-alkenyl)triphenoxytitanium derivatives

(2-Butenyl)-, (4-methyl-2-pentenyl)-, and (2-heptenyl)triphenoxytitanium ( 2a – c ) add to dialkyl, alkyl aryl-, and alkinyl aryl ketones to give high yields of tertiary homoallylic alcohols ( 5 – 12 ), which are diastereomerically enriched up to 98%. Configurational assignment by degradation of two of the products to olefins 15 and 18 - through β-hydroxy acids 13 and 16 and β-lactones 14 and 17 - leads to the proposal of a general mechanism and of a specification of the relative topicity lk of the process (Scheme 5). The allylic Ti-compounds 2 can serve as d²-reagents (see the d²-synthon II and the aldol-type structures 1 ).     

Syntheses of dictyopterene B (hormosirene) and its enantiomer via asymmetric ScN′ reactions

Stereocontrolled syntheses of dictyopterene B (hormosirene) (1) and its enantiomer (ent-1) are reported. Key steps are highly stereoselective S_cN′ reactions of esters of alcohols 2 and 5 derived from (+)-camphor.     

Diastereoselectivity of the mercuration of acyclic allylic alcohols

The diastereoselectivity of the mercuration of acyclic alkenes $\text{4}$ can be reversed by changing the substituent in the allylic position; with alcohols the erythro isomers $\text{5}$ and with esters or hemiacetals the threo isomers $\text{6}$ and $\text{8}$ are formed predominantly (Table I).