Insect pheromones and their analogs

A four-stage asymmetric synthesis of (+)-disparlure [(7R,8S)-(+)-cis-methyl-7,8-epoxyoctadecane (V)] has been effected from 8-methylnon-2Z-en-l-ol (I), obtained by the carboalumination of acetylene with tris(5-methylhexyl)aluminum using the Sharpless reaction. The asymmetric epoxidation of (I), (Ar, mol. sieve A, (+)-DET, (iOPr)₄Ti, t-BuOOH, –15°C, 20 h; H₂O, 1 h, NaOH, –7°C, 30 min) gave 8-methyl-2S,3R-epoxynonan-l-ol (II), which was oxidized (kieselguhr-CrO₃-Py, 0°C, 2 h; 25°C, 2 h) to 8-methyl-2S,3R-epoxynonan-l-al (III). The coupling of (III) with n-C₈H₁₇CH=PPh₃ (–78°C, 1 h; 25°C, 15 h) gave 2-methyl-7R,8S-epoxyoctadec-9Z-ene (IV), the hydrogenation (H₂/5% Pd-C, 25°C, 5 days) of which led to (V) in admixture with an isomerization product. Compound (V) was isolated by HPLC. Substance, yield, []_D²⁵: (II), 73, –2.75°; (III), 80, [80.8°; (IV), 50, +37.25°; (V), 50, +0.8°. The IR and PMR spectra of (II–IV), the¹³C NMR spectra of (II) and (III), and the mass spectrum of (IV) are given.Institute of Chemistry, Bashkir Scientific Center, Urals Branch, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Ufa. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 715–718, September–October, 1989.