A New Approach to the Synthesis of Long-Chain Polypropionates Based on the Diels-Alder Monoadditions of 2,2′-Ethylidenebis[3,5-dimethylfuran]

Acidic condensation of 2,4-dimethylfuran with acetaldehyde provided 2,2′-ethylidenebis3,5-dimethylfuran] ( 7 ) which added 1 equiv. of methyl bromopropynoate to give a major adduct 8 . Regio- and stereoselective hydroboration of the latter 7-oxanorbornadiene derivative followed by alcohol protection and methanolysis of its β-bromoacrylate moiety gave (1RS,2RS,4RS,5SR,6SR,1′RS)-methyl 4-1′-(3″,5″-dimethylfuran-2″-yl)ethyl]-3,3-dimethoxy-6-exo-(2-methoxy)ethoxy]-1,5-endo-dimethyl-7-oxabicyclo2.2.1]heptane-2-endo-carboxylate ( 24 ) (Schemes 2 and 3). Reduction of 24 with LiAlH₄, followed by H₂O and MeOH elimination gave the 3-methyl-idene-7-oxanorbornan-2-one derivative 26 which underwent 7-oxa ring opening through a S_N2′ type of reaction with Me₂CuLi (Scheme 4). Stereoselective hydrogenation and ketone reduction provided (1RS, 2SR,3RS,4RS,5RS,6RS,1′SR)-1- 1″-(3 ″,5″-dimethylfuran-2″-yl)]-c-3-ethyl-c-5-(2-methoxyethoxy)m e-c-ethyl-c-c-5-(2-methoxyethoxy)methoxy]-t-4,t-6-dimethyl-cyclohexane-r-1,c-2-diol ( 32 ), the oxidative cleavage of which with Pb(OAc)₄ generated a 6-oxo-aldehyde 33 (Schemes 4 and 5). Chemoselective protection of 33 and chemo- and stereoselective reductions generated (2RS,3RS,4SR,5SR,6SR,7RS)-7-(3′,5″-dimethylfuran-2′-yl)-2-ethyl-6-hydroxy-4-(2-methoxyethoxy)methoxy]-3,5-dimethyloct-1-yl pivaloate ( 36 ) and its 4-hydroxy 6-epimer 40 (12 and 13 steps, resp., from adduct 8 ; Scheme 5). Oxidation of the furan ring of 36 led to a (2RS,3SR,4RS,5SR,6RS,7RS)-7-ethyl-3,5,8-trihydroxy-2,4,6-trimethyl-octanoic acid derivative 44 , a polypropionate fragment with six contiguous stereogenic centres (Scheme 6).