SYNTHESIS OF OPTICALLY PURE COMPOUNDS BY ENANTIOTOPICALLY DIFFERENTIATING MONOACETALIZATION OF PROCHIRAL DIKETONES. PART II. FRAGMENTATION OF β-KETO-ACETALS

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/hlca.19840670324

Treatment of β-keto-acetals, derived from non-enolisable β-diketones, with sulfonic acids in boiling benzene results in a smooth retro-Claisen-type fragmentation.The acetal-C-atom is thereby transformed into a carboxylic ester via a dialkoxycarbenium ion, which is dealkylated by the sulfonate counter-ion.Application of this reaction to the diastereomeric monoacetals 3 and 4, derived from cis-9-methyl-decalin-1,8-dione (1), followed by transesterification with CH3OH, yields optically pure 4-(2'-methyl-3'-oxocyclohexyl)butyrate 9 ((+)-9 from 3, (-)-9 from 4) and the monosulfonate of meso-2,3-butanediol (-)-13 (Scheme 2).Unexpected, this cleavage proceeds as well with monoacetal 26, obtained by acetalization of trans-9-methyl-decalin-1,8-dione (27) with 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediol (Scheme 7).Some attempts, aiming at an isomerization of the cis- and trans-decalin derivatives 3 and 24, or 25 and 26, via the postulated carboxonium intermediate, were not successful.