PAPER
Synthesis of Primin and Primin Acid
1143
Methyl (4E)-5-[2-(tert-Butyldimethylsilyloxy)-3-methoxyphe-
nyl]pent-4-enoate (6)
5-[2-(tert-Butyldimethylsilyloxy)-3-methoxyphenyl]pentyl 4-
Methylbenzenesulfonate (9)
Compound 5 (4.0 g, 13.6 mmol) in xylene (5 mL) was treated with
trimethyl orthoacetate (9.79 g, 10.2 mL, 8.1 mmol) and propanoic
acid (40 mL), and the resulting mixture was heated at 140 °C for 6
h. After completion of the reaction, the xylene was evaporated un-
der reduced pressure. The crude residue was purified by chromatog-
raphy (hexane–EtOAc, 8:2) to give pure product 6.
Compound 8 (3.0 g, 9.2 mmol) in anhyd CH2Cl2 (10 mL) was treat-
ed with Et3N (1.0 mL), TsCl (1.74 g, 9.2 mmol) and DMAP (cat.)
and the resulting mixture stirred at r.t. for 2 h. After completion of
the reaction (TLC), the reaction mixture was quenched with brine
(10 mL) and extracted with CH2Cl2 (3 × 50 mL). The combined or-
ganic layer was dried over anhyd Na2SO4 and evaporated to give a
crude residue which was purified by chromatography (hexane–
EtOAc, 9:1) to furnish product 9.
Colorless oil; yield: 4.28 g (90%); Rf = 0.60 (hexane–EtOAc, 7:3).
IR (CHCl3): 3021, 2955, 1738, 1480, 1252, 1086 cm–1.
1H NMR (CDCl3): d = 7.32–6.75 (m, 4 H), 6.26–6.13 (m, 1 H), 3.82
(s, 3 H), 3.75 (s, 3 H), 2.75–2.34 (m, 4 H), 1.15 (s, 9 H), 0.28 (s, 6
H).
13C NMR (CDCl3): d = 173.3, 150.6, 142.1, 129.5, 128.3, 126.4,
121.0, 118.0, 110.1, 54.8, 51.5, 33.8, 28.7, 26.1, 18.9, –4.0.
ESI-MS: m/z = 351 [M + H]+, 373 [M + Na]+, 389 [M + K]+.
Colorless oil; yield: 4.11 g (93%); Rf = 0.50 (hexane–EtOAc, 7:3).
IR (CHCl3): 3013, 2920, 1720, 1432, 1389, 1208, 1065 cm–1.
1H NMR (CDCl3): d = 7.71 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 2 H), 7.60 (d, J = 8.0 Hz,
2 H), 6.63–6.51 (m, 3 H), 3.83 (t, J = 6.3 Hz, 2 H), 3.57 (s, 3 H),
2.39 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 2 H), 2.27 (s, 3 H), 1.47–1.19 (m, 6 H), 0.81 (s,
9 H), 0.00 (s, 6 H).
13C NMR (CDCl3): d = 149.9, 147.0, 144.8, 142.7, 141.6, 133.4,
130.4, 127.0, 121.9, 120.7, 109.2, 70.7, 54.7, 30.3, 29.4, 28.8, 26.2,
25.3, 21.8, 18.9, –3.7.
Anal. Calcd for C19H30O4Si: C, 65.10; H, 8.63. Found: C, 65.20; H,
8.72.
ESI-MS: m/z = 479 [M + H]+, 501 [M + Na]+, 517 [M + K]+.
Methyl 5-[2-(tert-Butyldimethylsilyloxy)-3-methoxyphe-
nyl]pentanoate (7)
Anal. Calcd for C25H38O5SSi: C, 62.72; H, 8.00. Found: C, 62.67;
H, 8.12.
To compound 6 (4.5 g, 12.8 mmol) in anhyd MeOH (10 mL) was
added 10% Pd/C (0.1 g) and the heterogeneous soln was stirred vig-
orously for 12 h under a H2 atm. After completion of the reaction
(TLC), the mixture was filtered over Celite. The filtrate was evapo-
rated and the crude product was purified by chromatography (hex-
ane–EtOAc, 8:2) to furnish pure ester 7.
tert-Butyl(2-methoxy-6-pentylphenoxy)dimethylsilane (10)
Compound 9 (4.0 g, 8.3 mmol) was dissolved in anhyd THF (10
mL) and cooled in ice-bath. LAH (0.3 g, 8.3 mmol) was added slow-
ly and the reaction mixture stirred at r.t. for 4 h under an Ar atm. Af-
ter completion of the reaction (TLC), the mixture was cooled to 0–
5 °C and quenched with 1 N NaOH (10 mL). The resulting white
precipitate was filtered through Celite, the filtrate dried over anhyd
Na2SO4 and evaporated to give a crude residue which was purified
by chromatography (hexane–EtOAc, 9:1) to furnish product 10.
Colorless oil; yield: 4.24 g (94%); Rf = 0.51 (hexane–EtOAc, 7:3).
IR (CHCl3): 3033, 2937, 1735, 1475, 1234, 1088 cm–1.
1H NMR (CDCl3): d = 6.64–6.54 (m, 3 H), 3.58 (s, 3 H), 3.47 (s, 3
H), 2.46 (t, J = 7.6 Hz, 2 H), 2.14 (t, J = 7.1 Hz, 2 H), 1.55–1.44 (m,
4 H), 0.82 (s, 9 H), 0.00 (s, 6 H).
13C NMR (CDCl3): d = 174.2, 149.9, 142.7, 133.4, 121.8, 120.6,
109.1, 54.7, 51.5, 34.1, 30.2, 29.6, 26.2, 24.9, 18.9, –3.8.
ESI-MS: m/z = 353 [M + H]+, 375 [M + Na]+, 391 [M + K]+.
Colorless oil; yield: 2.4 g (95%); Rf = 0.83 (hexane–EtOAc, 7:3).
IR (CHCl3): 3019, 2839, 1585, 1486, 1261, 1099 cm–1.
1H NMR (CDCl3): d = 6.94–6.74 (m, 2 H), 3.84 (s, 3 H), 2.68 (t,
J = 7.8 Hz, 3 H), 1.65 (t, J = 7.3 Hz, 1 H), 1.42 (t, J = 7.4 Hz, 3 H),
1.08 (s, 9 H), 0.96 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 3 H), 0.25 (s, 6 H).
13C NMR (CDCl3): d = 149.9, 142.7, 134.3, 129.9, 121.9, 120.5,
108.9, 32.0, 30.6, 30.0, 26.2, 22.7, 19.0, 14.1, –3.4.
ESI-MS: m/z = 309 [M + H]+, 331 [M + Na]+, 347 [M + K]+.
Anal. Calcd for C19H32O4Si: C, 64.73; H, 9.15. Found: C, 64.81; H,
9.22.
5-[2-(tert-Butyldimethylsilyloxy)-3-methoxyphenyl]pentan-1-ol
(8)
Compound 7 (4.0 g, 11.0 mmol) was dissolved in anhyd THF (10
mL) and the soln was cooled using an ice-bath. LAH (0.4 g, 11.0
mmol) was added slowly and the mixture stirred at r.t. for 4 h under
an Ar atm. After completion of the reaction (TLC), the mixture was
cooled to 0–5 °C and quenched with 1 N NaOH (10 mL). The re-
sulting white precipitate was filtered through Celite and the filtrate
was dried over anhyd Na2SO4 and evaporated. The crude residue
was purified by chromatography (hexane–EtOAc, 7:3) to give prod-
uct 8.
Anal. Calcd for C18H32O2Si: C, 70.07; H, 10.45. Found: C, 70.18;
H, 10.58.
2-Methoxy-6-pentylphenol (11)
Compound 10 (1.0 g, 3.2 mmol) was dissolved in anhyd DMF (2
mL) and the soln was cooled in an ice-bath. LiOH (220 mg, 9.6
mmol) was added slowly and the mixture stirred at r.t. for 4 h under
an Ar atm. After completion (TLC), the reaction mixture was ex-
tracted with EtOAc (3 × 20 mL). The combined organic layer was
washed with brine (20 mL), dried over anhyd Na2SO4 and evaporat-
ed to give a crude residue. Purification by chromatography (hex-
ane–EtOAc, 7:3) gave phenol 11 (0.5 g, 80%) as a colorless viscous
oil.7a
Colorless viscous oil; yield: 3.35 g (91%); Rf = 0.31 (hexane–
EtOAc, 7:3).
IR (CHCl3): 2953, 2930, 1720, 1465, 1250, 1082 cm–1.
1H NMR (CDCl3): d = 6.68–6.48 (m, 3 H), 3.58 (s, 3 H), 3.46 (t,
J = 6.4 Hz, 2 H), 2.45 (t, J = 7.3 Hz, 2 H), 1.43–1.13 (m, 6 H), 0.82
(s, 9 H), 0.00 (s, 6 H).
13C NMR (CDCl3): d = 149.9, 142.7, 133.9, 121.9, 120.6, 109.0,
62.9, 54.7, 32.8, 30.0, 29.1, 26.2, 25.8, 18.9, –3.8.
2-Methoxy-6-pentyl-1,4-benzoquinone (Primin) (1)
In a flame-dried flask purged with O2, phenol 11 (388 mg, 2 mmol)
was dissolved in anhyd DMF (3 mL), salcomine (64 mg, 0.2 mmol)
was added, and the reaction mixture was stirred vigorously for 6 h
(TLC). The reaction mixture was extracted with EtOAc (3 × 50 mL)
and the combined organic layer washed with brine (10 mL), dried
over anhyd Na2SO4 and then evaporated to give a crude residue. Pu-
rification by chromatography (hexane–EtOAc, 6:4) gave primin (1)
ESI-MS: m/z = 325 [M + H]+, 347 [M + Na]+, 363 [M + K]+.
Anal. Calcd for C18H32O3Si: C, 66.62; H, 9.94. Found: C, 66.73; H,
9.88.
Synthesis 2010, No. 7, 1141–1144 © Thieme Stuttgart · New York