Synthesis of the o-Quinones and Dihydro Diols of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from the Corresponding Phenols

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo01310a029

Terminal-ring trans-dihydro diol metabolites have been implicated as the ultimate carcinogenic forms of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.Synthesis of these dihydro diols from the related polycyclic phenols in two steps via oxidation to the corresponding o-quinones with either Fremy's salt <(KSO3)2NO> or phenylseleninic anhydride followed by stereospecific reduction with lithium aluminum hydride is described.The non-K-region quinones and trans-dihydro diols of naphthalene, anthracene, phenanthrene, benzanthracene, benzopyrene, and 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene are synthesized via this approach.Although poor yields (1-4percent) were previously reported for the reduction of non-K-region quinones, an improved experimental procedure has been developed which affords the trans-dihydro diols free of the isomeric cis-dihydro diols in generally good yields.Major byproducts are the corresponding hydroquinones, previously undetected, and the related tetrahydro diols.The latter are the major products of reduction of the poorly soluble quinones of benzopyrene and benzanthracene and are shown to arise through further reduction of the dihydro diols.Since the tetrahydro diols are convertible to dihydro diols and the hydroquinones are reoxidizable to quinones, good overall conversions of quinones to dihydro diols are attainable. trans-3,4-Dihydroxy-3,4-dihydro-7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene synthesized in these studies is the most potent tumorigenic hydrocarbon metabolite tested to date.