H. S. Overkleeft et al.
FULL PAPER
3317, 2916, 2846, 1643, 1465, 1365, 1095, 948 cm–1. 1H NMR
(400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 0.88 (t, 3 H), 1.25 (s, 24 H), 1.52 (m, 2 H),
2.17 (d, 1 H), 3.27 (d, 1 H), 3.71 (m, 1 H), 3.81 (m, 1 H), 4.40–
4.61 (m, 3 H), 7.26–7.92 (m, 5 H, Ph) ppm. 13C NMR (100 MHz,
CDCl3): δ = 13.9, 22.5, 25.4, 29.1, 29.5, 31.7, 32.9, 68.4, 69.3, 73.5,
74.9, 126.9–132.9, 165.4 ppm. MS (ESI): m/z = 404.3 [M + H]+,
ribo-sphingosine as the starting material and those using
other chiral pool materials as a starting point and/or em-
ploying synthetic strategies unrelated to ours.
426.1 [M
+
Na]+. HRMS (QTOF): calcd. for C25H42NO3
Experimental Section
[M + H]+ 404.3159; found 404.3139.
General: Commercially available reagents and solvents (Acros,
Fluka, or Merck) were used as received. Reactions were executed at
ambient temperature unless stated otherwise. All moisture-sensitive
reactions were performed under an argon atmosphere. All solvents
were removed by evaporation under reduced pressure. Reactions
were monitored by TLC analysis with the use of silica gel coated
plates (0.2 mm thickness) and detection by 254 nm UV light or by
spraying with either a solution of 20% H2SO4 in ethanol or a solu-
tion of (NH4)6Mo7O24·4H2O (25 gL–1), (NH4)4Ce(SO4)4·2H2O
(10 gL–1) in 10% sulfuric acid followed by charring at ≈150 °C or
by spraying with potassium permanganate (5 gL–1) and potassium
carbonate (25 gL–1) in water. Liquid column chromatography puri-
fication was performed using forced flow of the indicated solvent
systems on silica gel 60 (40–63 μm mesh). Conversion of compound
7 into compound 10 was monitored by HPLC–MS analysis. An
HPLC system (detection simultaneously at 214, 254 nm and ELSD)
was equipped with an analytical TP diphenyl column (300 A, 3 μm
particle size, length 50 mm, ID 4.6 mm) in combination with buff-
ers A: H2O, B: MeCN, and C: 0.1 m NH4Ac (method gradient, t
in min; buffers A/B/C, v/v/v: t = 0, 80:10:10; t = 0.5, 80:10:10; t =
10.5, 0:90:10; t = 12.5, 0:90:10; t = 14.0, 80:10:10, flow in mL/min)
and coupled to a mass instrument with an electrospray interface
(ESI) was used. HPLC sample preparation: 20 μL of reaction mix-
ture was diluted with 980 μL of a stock solution of tBuOH/ACN/
H2O/AcOH, 3:3:3:1, v/v/v/v, from the HPLC sample stock solution
10 μL was injected in the HPLC system. IR spectra were recorded
with a Shimadzu FTIR-8300 fitted with a single bounce diamond
crystal ATR-element. Optical rotations were measured with a Pro-
pol automatic polarimeter (sodium D line, λ = 589 nm). Melting
points were measured with a melting point apparatus with a heat-
ing rate of 0.5 °C/minute. The 1H and 13C-APT NMR spectra, 1H–
1H COSY, and 1H–13C HSQC experiments were recorded with a
400/100 MHz spectrometer. Chemical shifts are given in ppm (δ)
relative to tetramethylsilane as internal standard. NMR peak as-
signments were made using COSY and HSQC experiments. All
presented 13C-APT spectra are proton decoupled. LC–MS analyses
were performed with a LCQ Advantage Max (Thermo Finnigan)
equipped with a Gemini C18 column (Phenomenex, 50ϫ4.6 mm,
3 μ), utilizing the following buffers: A: H2O, B: acetonitrile, and C:
1.0% TFA (aq.). High-resolution mass spectra were recorded with
a mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ion source in
positive mode (source voltage 3.5 kV, sheath gas flow 10%, capil-
lary temperature 275 °C) with resolution R = 100000 at m/z = 400.
The high-resolution mass spectrometer was calibrated prior to
measurements with a calibration solution (caffeine, MRFA, Ultra-
mark 1621).
2-Phenyl-4-(S)-[(4S,5S)-4-(tetradecyl)-1,3,2-dioxathiolane-2,2-di-
oxide-5-yl]-1,3-oxazoline (7): To a cooled (ice bath) and stirred sus-
pension of 8 (11.67 g, 28.94 mmol) in DCM (200 mL) was added
TEA (12.0 mL, 86.6 mmol) and thionyl chloride (3.15 mL,
43.4 mmol). The mixture was stirred for 1 h at room temperature,
after which (TLC, silica gel; petroleum ether/EtOAc, 9:1; Rf = 0.55
and 0.56 cyclic sulfite 9) acetonitrile (200 mL), water (100 mL), and
a mixture of NaIO4 (18.58 g, 86.9 mmol) and RuCl3 (0.30 g,
1.4 mmol) were added. Stirring of the mixture was continued for
another 2 h. The mixture was concentrated to approximately
200 mL, diluted with EtOAc (250 mL), and washed with aqueous
saturated NaHSO4 (2ϫ50 mL), dried (Na2SO4), and concentrated.
Flash column chromatography of the residue (silica gel; petroleum
ether/EtOAc, 19:1 Ǟ 7:3) gave 7 (12.35 g, 26.52 mmol, 92%) as a
green yellow oil, which upon standing solidified. TLC (silica gel;
petroleum ether/EtOAc, 9:1): Rf = 0.45. [α]2D0 = 57.2 (c = 1.00,
CHCl ). IR (thin film): ν = 2924, 2852, 1641, 1386, 1209, 958,
˜
3
906 cm–1. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 0.88 (t, 3 H, CH3),
1.27 (s, 24 H, 12 CH2), 2.09 (m, 2 H, CH2-5), 4.40 (d, J1a1b
9.2 Hz, J1a,2 = 6.8 Hz, 1 H, H-1a), 4.53 (t, J1a1b = 9.2 Hz, J1b,2
=
=
9.2 Hz, 1 H, H-1b), 4.63 (ddd, J1a,2 = 6.8 Hz, J1b,2 = 9.2 Hz, J2,3
= 9.0 Hz, 1 H, H-2), 4.75 (dd, J2,3 = 9.0 Hz, J3,4 = 5.2 Hz, 1 H, H-
3), 5.05 (ddd, J4,5 = 4.6 Hz, J3,4 = 5.2 Hz, J4,5 = 9.8 Hz, H-4), 7.38–
7.92 (m, 5 H, Ph) ppm. 13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 14.0
(CH3), 22.6, 25.2, 28.3, 28.9, 29.1, 29.3, 29.4, 29.5, 29.6, 31.8 (CH2),
64.6 (C-2), 69.9 (C-1), 85.2 (C-3), 86.5 (C-4), 126.5 (Cq Ph), 128.3,
128.4, 132.0 (CH Ph), 166.7 (C=N) ppm. MS (ESI): m/z = 466.3
[M + H]+ , 931.5 [2M + H]+ . HRMS (QTOF): calcd. for
C25H40NO5S [M + H]+ 466.26217; found 466.26183.
2-Phenyl-4-(S)-[(1S,2E)-1-hydroxyhexadec-2-enyl]-1,3-oxazoline
(10): To a stirred solution (70 °C) of 7 (1.11 g, 2.38 mmol) in tolu-
ene (24 mL) was added TBAI (1.06 g, 2.87 mmol) and DBU
(0.54 mL, 3.56 mmol). After 1 h (HPLC analysis showed completed
consumption of starting material), the temperature was raised to
reflux, HPLC analysis showed after 4 h the sole formation of sul-
fated 10. The mixture was cooled to room temperature, TBAI salts
were filtered off, and the volatiles were evaporated. The residue was
dissolved in a mixture of THF/MeOH (15:1, 24 mL) and a solution
of H2SO4 and water in THF (6.0 mL, 1 mmol H2SO4, 1 mmol H2O
in 1 mL of THF) was added. After 3 h, HPLC analysis showed the
complete and sole formation of 10. The mixture was neutralized
with TEA (1 mL) and concentrated, and the residue was purified
by silica gel column chromatography (petroleum ether/EtOAc, 9:1
Ǟ 6:4) to give 10 (0.83 g, 2.15 mmol, 90%) as a white crystalline
solid. TLC (silica gel; petroleum ether/EtOAc, 9:1): Rf = 0.20.
2-Phenyl-4-(S)-[(1S,2R)-1,2-dihydroxyhexadecyl]-1,3-oxazoline (8):
To a stirred suspension of phytosphingosine (1; 11.4 g, 35.9 mmol)
and ethyl benzimidate hydrochloride (8.0 g, 43.1 mmol) in DCM
(200 mL) was added TEA (6.0 mL, 43.1 mmol), and the mixture
was stirred for 48 h at 40 °C. The solvent was evaporated, and the
residue was dissolved in hot ethyl acetate (250 mL), washed with
aqueous HCl (1 n, 2ϫ50 mL), and concentrated. Crystallization
of the residue from MeOH gave 8 as white crystals (13.8 g, 95%).
TLC (silica gel; DCM/MeOH, 9:1): Rf = 0.60. M.p. 137–138 °C.
[α]2D0 = –1.4 (c = 1.00, CHCl ). M.p. 87–88 °C. IR (thin film): ν =
˜
3
3155, 2916, 2848, 1645, 1463, 1363, 1099, 966 cm–1. 1H NMR
(400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 0.88 (t, 3 H, CH3), 1.27 (br. s, 20 H, 10
CH2), 1.38 (br. s, 2 H, CH2), 2.04 (m, 2 H, CH2-6), 4.28–4.41 (3, 3
H, H-1a, H-1b, H-2), 4.67 (d, J = 4.4 Hz, 1 H, H-3), 4.91 (br. s, 1
H, OH-3), 5.42 (dd, J4,5 = 15.2 Hz, J3,4 = 5.2 Hz, 1 H, H-4), 5.85
(ddd, J4,5 = 15.2 Hz, J5,6a = J5,6b = 6.8 Hz, 1 H, H-5), 7.19–7.68
(m, 5 H, Ph) ppm. 13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 14.0 (CH3),
22.6, 29.1, 29.3, 29.4, 29.5, 29.6, 29.8, 31.8 (CH2), 32.4 (C-6), 67.3
(C-1), 71.1 (C-3), 71.2 (C-2), 126.8 (Cq Ph), 127.9 (C-4), 128.1,
[α]2D0 = 24.8 (c = 1.60, CHCl /methanol, 5:1). IR (thin film): ν =
˜
3
6688
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Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2011, 6685–6689