| Abstract: | Total Synthesis of Naturally Occurring α-Tocopherol. Asymmetric Alkylation and Asymmetric Epoxidation as Means to Introduce (R)-Configuration at C(2) of the Chroman Moiety Based on the reductive, stereospecific ring closure of (2R,4′R,8′R)-α-Tocophcrylquinone′ or corresponding analogues with a short, functionalized side chain ( B , Scheme 1) to 1 resp. the chroman system of 1 (C), two different approaches for the introduction of the required tertiary methyl-substituted alcohol structure in the side chain of the aromatic precursors ( A , Scheme 1) were developed. The first approach uses asymmetric alkylation in three different versions featuring (a) diastereoselective steering with chiral auxiliaries I-IV (Scheme 2) attached as esters to a-keto acids, (b) intermediate transfer of chirality in an ester enolate (from 18 , Scheme 4) derived from an optically active α-hydroxy acid, (c) enantioselective alkylation of phytenal ( 20 ) and subsequent ring closure with chirality transfer (Schemes 5–7). The second approach is based on the asymmetric epoxidation of β-metallylalcohol (Sharpless epoxidation), the corresponding epoxyalcohol being converted in situ to the (S)-or (R)-chlorodiol (S)-and (R)- 29 , respectively, for isolation (Schemes 8 and 9). Nucleophilic epoxide opening with a (3R 7R)-3,7,11-trimethyldodecyl (C15**) and an ArCH2 unit in appropriate sequence is used to assemble the C-framework of the target molecule via corresponding epoxide intermediates from either chlorodiol. Combined with the use of the methoxymethyl-ether function for protection of the hydroquinone system, the epoxide approach provides a short route to 1 (Scheme 10). |
