via a slightly modified two-step Corey-Fuchs procedure.13,14
Removal of the p-methoxybenzyl (MPM) group in 13a with
DDQ was followed by hetero-Michael addition of alkynol
14a to afford five-membered ring precursor 15a in an overall
yield of 47% from 12. The corresponding six-membered ring
precursor 15b was also readily accessible by treatment of
primary iodide 16, prepared by reaction of 12 with I2/PPh3/
imidazole in toluene, with lithium acetylide ethylenediamine
complex. Subsequent deprotection of HO-4 in the resulting
13b and hetero-Michael addition of 14b afforded â-(alkyn-
yloxy)acrylate 15b. On the other hand, known15 ethyl
D-gluco-oct-6-enuronate 17 served as the starting compound
for the 7,6- and 8,6-bicyclic ether precursors 15c and 15d.
Thus, selective hydrogenation of the double bond in 17 under
the influence of platinum(IV) oxide followed by reduction
of the saturated ester with lithium aluminum hydride gave
alcohol 18 (76%, two steps). Transformation of 18 into the
corresponding aldehyde and sequential dibromoolefination
and elimination yielded alkyne 13c in 76% over the three
steps. Intermediate alkyne 13d was prepared from alcohol
18 by executing the earlier mentioned two-step protocol (cf.
12 f 13b) in an overall yield of 64%. Deprotection of 13c
and 13d at the 4-positions and installation of the acrylate
functionalities yielded 15c and 15d, respectively.
Scheme 4a
a Reagents and conditions: (a) O3; NaBH4, MeOH/CH2Cl2 (7:
1), -70 °C to room temperature, 92%; (b) TBSOTf, i-Pr2EtN,
CH2Cl2, 0 °C, 89%; (c) LiAlH4, Et2O, 0 °C, 91%; (d) Dess-Martin
periodinane, pyridine, CH2Cl2; (e) CBr4, PPh3, CH2Cl2, 86% (two
steps); (f) n-BuLi, THF, -50 °C, 92%; (g) TBAF, THF, 91%; (h)
ethyl propiolate, NMM, CH2Cl2, 99%; (i) Bu3SnH, AIBN, added
over 5 h, toluene, 80 °C, 90%; (j) p-TsOH, CH2Cl2, 97%.
The results of the ensuing tributyltin radical mediated
cyclizations of 15a-d and subsequent acidic destannylations
to afford compounds 20a-d are summarized in Table 1. First
of all, it is of interest to note that the formation of the trans-
5,6 bicyclic ether 20a proceeded more efficiently than the
cis-5,6 system 7. This may be explained by taking into
consideration that the acrylate moiety in 15a, in contrast to
acrylate 5, adopts a more favorable equatorial conformation.
It is also evident that there is a dramatic drop in yield going
from the seven- to eight-membered rings (20c to 20d). In
this particular case, the desired product 20d could only be
isolated in 8% yield and the major product proved to be the
result of hydrostannylation of the triple bond (60-70%).
Prolonging the time of addition (i.e., from 5 to 24 h) of Bu3-
SnH and AIBN in order to suppress quenching of the
intermediate vinylic radical by Bu3SnH only led to a slight
increase in the yield of 20d.
process, giving equatorial alcohol 21 as the sole isomer, as
evidenced by NOESY spectroscopy. Temporary protection
of the newly formed secondary alcohol with a tert-butyldi-
methylsilyl (TBS) group and reduction of the ester in 22,
followed by oxidation and a Corey-Fuchs procedure, gave
alkyne 23 in 64% yield over the five steps. Fluoride-ion
mediated desilylation and reaction of alkynol 24 with ethyl
propiolate furnished bicyclic â-(alkynyloxy)acrylate 25,
cyclization and destannylation of which afforded homoge-
neous tricyclic ether 26 in an overall yield of 87%.
In summary, an efficient method for the preparation of
functionalized fused ethers of various ring sizes by radical
cyclization of sugar-derived â-(alkynyloxy)acrylates is pre-
sented. The versatility of this approach is highlighted by the
iterative expansion of 20b to give 26 in an overall yield of
48% over 10 steps and nicely complements recently reported
related radical cyclization protocols.16 At present, we are
studying in detail whether an appropriately protected sugar
can be extended at both the reducing and nonreducing end.
An additional merit of the radical cyclization process is
the formation of an exocyclic double bond. The latter feature
offers the opportunity to install an equatorially oriented
hydroxyl group, thus opening the way for an iterative radical
cyclization process. The feasibility of this concept is
demonstrated in the conversion of bicyclic 20b into the
tricyclic system 26 (Scheme 4). In this respect, it was
gratifying to establish that subjection of 20b to ozonolysis
and in situ reduction of the intermediate ozonide with sodium
borohydride was a highly efficient and stereoselective
Acknowledgment. We thank Fons Lefeber for recording
the 2D-NMR spectra, Hans van den Elst for the mass spectra,
and Han Peeters (University of Amsterdam) and Peter van
Veelen for the high-resolution mass measurements.
Supporting Information Available: General experimen-
tal procedures for the acrylation, radical cyclization, and
acidic destannylation. Full characterization data for com-
pounds 7, 11, 20a-d, and 26. This material is available free
(10) Boaretto, A.; Marton, D.; Tagliavini, G. J. Organomet. Chem. 1985,
297, 149.
(11) Johansson, R.; Samuelsson, B. J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1 1984,
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(12) Dess, D. B.; Martin, J. C. J. Org. Chem. 1983, 48, 4155.
(13) Corey, E. J.; Fuchs, P. L. Tetrahedron Lett. 1972, 3769.
(14) Butylation of the methylene of the MPM group was observed when
n-BuLi instead of t-BuLi was used.
(16) Lee, E.; Tae, J. S.; Chong, Y. H.; Park, Y. C. Tetrahedron Lett.
1994, 35, 129. Evans, P. A.; Roseman, J. D. J. Org. Chem. 1996, 61, 2252.
Hori, N.; Matsukura, H.; Matsuo, G.; Nakata, T. Tetrahedron Lett. 1999,
40, 2811.
(15) Stick, R. V.; Tilbrook, D. M. G. Aust. J. Chem. 1990, 43, 1643.
Org. Lett., Vol. 2, No. 9, 2000
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