Communications
Scheme 3. Synthesis of 17. Reagents and conditions: a) nBuLi, THF,
À788C, then Ph2MeSiCl, À788C to RT; 98%; b) DIBAL-H, Et2O, 08C to
RT; then MeLi, À58C to RT; then (CH2O)n; 68%; c) Dess–Martin
=
periodinane, CH2Cl2; 99%; d) Bu3SnCH2CMe CH2; AgOTf (20 mol%),
(S)-binap (20 mol%), THF, À208C; 85%; e) o-DPPBA, DCC, DMAP,
CH2Cl2, RT; 86%; f) [Rh(CO)2(acac)] (2 mol%), P(OPh)3 (8 mol%),
H2/CO (1:1, 40 bar), toluene, 408C; 81%; g) NaBH4, MeOH, 08C;
82%; h) Ph3PI2, CH2Cl2, 08C to RT; i) iBuMgCl, Li2CuCl4 (10 mol%),
THF, À108C; 72% over two steps; j) KF, KHCO3, TBAF, DMSO, 358C;
77%. Tf=trifluoromethanesulfonyl, binap=2,2’-bis(diphenylphos-
phanyl)-1,1’-binaphthyl, o-DPPBA=ortho-diphenylphosphanylbenzoic
acid, DCC=N,N’-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, DMAP=4-dimethylamino-
pyridine, acac=acetylacetonate, TBAF=tetra-n-butylammonium fluo-
ride.
Scheme 4. Fragment assembly and completion of the synthesis.
Reagents and conditions: a) 9, tBuLi, Et2O, À858C; then MgBr2·Et2O;
then addition to 17/CuBr·SMe2, Et2O, RT; 78%; b) Raney-Ni, H2
(1 atm), EtOH, RT; 91%; c) dimethylsuflate, KOH, DME, RT; quant.
In conclusion, a new strategy that makes efficient use of
substrate control by employing the concept of an RDG-
controlled synthesis has been realized in the context of an
enantioselective total synthesis of (R,R,R)-a-tocopherol.
Thus, the reagent-directing group (o-DPPB) served to control
the stereoselectivity during the course of a rhodium-catalyzed
hydroformylation reaction for the construction of the C16
isoprenoid side chain. The same o-DPPB group subsequently
acted as a reagent-directing leaving group during the course
of a directed copper-mediated allylic substitution, which
simultaneously served as the fragment-coupling step and led
to the removal of the o-DPPB group, which may be recovered
during the work-up process. To the best of our knowledge, this
is also the first application of a copper-mediated allylic
substitution as a fragment-coupling reaction in a total syn-
thesis, and clearly demonstrates the synthetic potential of o-
DPPB-directed allylic substitution for total synthesis.
alcohol function in 15 into the corresponding iodide allowed
the remaining isobutyl side chain to be installed through a
3
3
À
copper-catalyzed sp sp cross-coupling reaction with isobu-
tylmagnesium chloride.[24] Desilylation of the vinylsilane to
generate the fragment-coupling precursor 16 was achieved
upon treatment with potassium fluoride and TBAF in the
presence of potassium bicarbonate in DMSO at 358C.
An o-DPPB-directed allylic substitution was chosen as the
final fragment-coupling step. We recently demonstrated that
this reaction proceeds with high levels of chemo-, regio-, and
diastereoselectivity, concomitant with a 1,3-chirality trans-
fer.[7] Furthermore, stoichiometric amounts of organometallic
reagent are sufficient to achieve complete conversions, which
render this reaction suitable for the coupling of valuable
metal–organic building blocks with allylic o-DPPB esters.
Thus, the Grignard reagent (tBuLi, MgBr2·OEt2) of chro-
manyl iodide 9 was generated at À858C in diethyl ether.
Reaction with the allylic electrophile 17 at room temperature
in the presence of 0.5 equivalents of copper(I) bromide
dimethylsulfide initiated a clean and highly selective directed
allylic syn substitution to give the coupling product 18 in 78%
yield (Scheme 4). For completion of the synthesis, cleavage of
the benzyl ether and reduction of the alkene were accom-
plished in one pot with Raney-Ni under an atmosphere of
hydrogen (in EtOH at RT, 91%) to give (R,R,R)-a-toco-
pherol in 13 steps (longest linear sequence) and 30% overall
yield. A combination of HPLC and GC analysis of the
corresponding methyl ether 19 showed the synthetic material
to be identical to the natural material.[25]
Received: July 21, 2007
Published online: October 12, 2007
Keywords: enantioselectivity · homogeneous catalysis ·
.
hydroformylation · isoprenoids · vitamin E
[3] a) K. U. Baldenius, L. von dem Bussche-Hünnefeld, E. Hilge-
mann, P. Hoppe, R. Stürmer in Ullmans Encylopedia of
Industrial Chemistry, Vol. A27, VCH, Weinheim, 1996, p. 478 –
488, 594–597; b) T. Netscher in Lipid Synthesis and Manufacture
(Ed.: F. P. Gunstone), Academic Press, Sheffield, UK, 1999,
p. 250 – 267.
ꢀ 2007 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2007, 46, 8670 –8673
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