Gerhard Hilt et al.
FULL PAPERS
gel 60 F254. For column chromatography Merck silica gel 60
(230–400 mesh ASTM) was used. All reactions were carried
out under inert atmosphere (nitrogen or argon) using stan-
dard Schlenk techniques. Dichloromethane and acetonitrile
were dried over phosphorus pentoxide, tetrahydrofuran and
diethyl ether over sodium. 5-Oxo-5-phenylpentanal (7) was
synthesised according to the literature method of Hsu.[3]
The ligands were prepared according to or by adapting liter-
ature methods.[8] For the larger scale reaction the Fe(II)-
(salen) complex was synthesised by an adapted method.[9]
bined organic phases were washed with water (50 mL),
brine (50 mL), dried over sodium sulfate and concentrated
under reduced pressure. The residue was purified by column
chromatography (triethylamine:ethyl acetate:pentane=
1:5:100) to yield 4 as a colourless oil as a mixture of diaste-
reomers (E:Z=1.0:1.5); yield: 420 mg (1.6 mmol, 80%).
1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3; main diastereomer, Z-isomer):
d=7.66–7.44 (m, 10H), 6.67 (d, 1H, J=11.6 Hz), 5.85 (dt,
1H, J=11.7, 7.0 Hz), 3.19 (d, 1H, J=5.3 Hz), 2.97 (d, 1H,
J=5.3 Hz), 2.66–2.57 (m, 2H), 2.06–1.90 (m, 2H), 1.90–1.69
(m, 2H). Further resolved signals of the minor diastereomer
(E-isomer): d=6.41 (dt, 1H, J=15.9, 6.9 Hz), 3.22 (d, 1H,
J=5.3 Hz), 2.53–2.43 (m, 2H). 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3;
main diastereomer, Z-isomer): d=139.8, 137.5, 132.2, 129.1,
128.6, 128.3, 128.2, 128.0, 127.3, 126.4, 125.8, 55.4, 34.9, 28.3,
25.1. Further resolved signals of the minor diastereomer (E-
isomer): d=139.9, 137.6, 130.2, 130.1, 128.8, 128.3, 60.1, 34.8,
32.7, 24.5. MS (EI): m/z (%)=264 (M+, 1), 250 (3), 144 (3),
130 (100), 115 (27), 105 (16), 91 (21), 77 (27), 65 (4), 51 (7).
HM-RS (EI): m/z=264.1519, calcd. for C19H20O: 264.1514.
1,6-Diphenylhex-5-en-1-one (8)
Potassium tert-butoxide (15.0 mmol, 1.68 g) was suspended
in 70 mL of dichloromethane and cooled to 08C. Benzyltri-
phenylphosphonium bromide was added and the solution
turned red. After stirring for 10 min, the solution was cooled
to À788C and 7 (12.5 mmol, 2.21 g) dissolved in 20 mL of di-
chloromethane was slowly added by syringe. The solution
was kept at À788C for 1 h and stirred at room temperature
for 20 h. After addition of water (100 mL) the phases were
separated and the water phase was extracted with dichloro-
General Procedure for Iron-Catalysed Intramolecular
methane (330 mL). The combined organic phases were Ring Expansion of Epoxides (Ligand Screening)
washed with water (50 mL) and brine (50 mL), dried over
MgSO4 and concentrated under reduced pressure. The resi-
due was purified by column chromatography (ethyl acetate/
pentane, 1:10) to afford 8 as a colourless oil as a mixture of
diastereomers (E:Z=1.0:1.4); yield: 2.47 g (9.8 mmol,
78%). 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3; main diastereomer, Z-
isomer): d=7.99–7.91 (m, 2H). 7.60–7.16 (m, 8H), 6.47 (d,
1H, J=11.8 Hz), 5.69 (dt, 1H, J=11.6, 7.2 Hz), 2.99 (t, 2H,
J=7.3 Hz), 2.44 (qd 2H, J=7.5, 1.8 Hz), 1.89–1.86 (m, 2H).
Further resolved signals of the minor diastereomer (E-
isomer): d=6.42 (d, 1H, J=16.0 Hz), 6.23 (dt, 1H, J=15.8,
6.8 Hz), 3.03 (t, 2H, J=7.3 Hz), 2.33 (q, 2H, J=7.2 Hz).
13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3; main diastereomer, Z-isomer):
d=199.9, 137.4, 136.8, 132.8, 131.8, 129.5, 128.6, 128.4, 128.0,
127.8, 126.4, 37.8, 27.9, 24.2. Further resolved signals of the
minor diastereomer (E-isomer): d=200.0, 137.5, 136.9,
130.5, 129.8, 128.3, 126.8, 125.8, 37.6, 32.3, 23.6. MS (EI): m/
z (%)=250 (M+, 3), 130 (100), 115 (12), 105 (10), 91 (3), 77
(16), 51 (2); HM-RS (EI): m/z=250.1353, calcd. for
C18H18O: 250.1358.
Iron dichloride (7 mg, 57 mmol), the ligand (57 mmol or 114
mmol when 2.0 equivs. of ligand were applied) and zinc
(25 mg, 378 mmol) were suspended in 1.0 mL of acetonitrile
and triethylamine (9 mg, 85 mmol, 10 mL) was added. Then
the solution was heated until boiling. Afterwards, the epox-
yalkene 4 (50 mg, 189 mmol) was added by syringe and the
solution was stirred at 608C for 20 h. Then the mixture was
filtered over a pad of silica (eluent: diethyl ether) and con-
centrated under reduced pressure. The residue was purified
by column chromatography (ethyl acetate:pentane, 1:50)
1,3a-Diphenylcyclopenta[c]tetrahydrofuran (5a)
According to the general procedure the product 5 was ob-
tained as a colourless oil. Yields and diastereoselectivities,
see Tables 1–3. 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3): d=7.40–7.08
(m, 10H), 4.45 (d, 1H, J=7.6 Hz), 4.20 (d, 1H, J=9.0 Hz),
3.75 (d, 1H, J=9.0 Hz), 2.79–2.68 (m, 1H), 2.09–1.73 (m,
6H); 13C NMR (125 MHz, CDCl3): d=148.8, 142.0, 128.4,
128.3, 127.3, 125.9, 125.8, 125.7, 88.8, 80.8, 60.7, 60.2, 37.7,
30.9, 25.0; MS (EI): m/z (%)=264 (M+, 25), 234 (37), 191
(17), 173 (17), 158 (100), 143 (80), 129 (72), 115 (67), 105
(35), 91 (95), 77 (41), 67 (18), 51 (15); HR-MS (EI): m/z=
264.1508, calcd. for C19H20O: 264.1514.
2-Phenyl-2-(5-phenyl-pent-4-en-1-yl)oxirane (4)
Sodium hydride (162 mg, 60% in mineral oil, 6.6 mmol) was
suspended in 5 mL of dimethyl sulfoxide. The suspension
was carefully heated until gas evolution started. Then the
solution was stirred for 20 min, 40 mL of tetrahydrofuran
were added and the mixture was cooled to 08C. After the
addition of trimethylsulfonium iodide (1.10 g, 6.0 mmol) the
solution was stirred for 1 h at 08C, compound 8 (500 mg,
2.0 mmol) was added by syringe and the mixture stirred for
24 h at room temperature. Then the solution was diluted
with water (50 mL) and methyl tert-butyl ether (50 mL) was
added. The phases were separated and the water phase was
extracted with methyl tert-butyl ether (350 mL). The com-
3,5-Diphenyltetrahydrofuro
(42)
ACHTRE[UNG 2,3-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione
Fe(II)-(salen) (64 mg, 0.20 mmol) and zinc powder (91 mg,
1.40 mmol) were suspended in 1.0 mL of acetonitrile and
triethylamine (30 mg, 0.30 mmol, 42 mL) was added. Then
the mixture was heated until boiling. After 5 min, N-phenyl-
1246
ꢀ 2006 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Adv. Synth. Catal. 2006, 348, 1241 – 1247