(Z)-3-alkylidene-4,5-dihydro-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-2-(3H)-furanones by regio- and diastereoselective ene reaction of singlet oxygen (Schenk reaction) with γ-hydroxy vinylstannanes: An enantioselective synthesis of dihydromahubanolide B

Article abstract of DOI:10.1055/s-1994-25525

(Z)-3-Alkylidene-4,5-dihydro-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-2-(3H)-furanones 5 were prepared from appropriately substituted propargylic alcohols 1 by a sequence of hydromagnesation to γ-hydroxy vinylstannanes 2, subsequent photooxygenation and reduction to stannyl diols 3, iododestannylation to iodo diols 4, and finally cyclization by palladium-catalyzed carbonylation (for 5a) or Ni(CO)₂(PPh₃)₂ (for 5b,c). The reaction sequence can be performed enantioselectively by starting with chiral propargylic alcohols. The current approach constitutes a convenient four-step synthesis of optically active lactones 5 from readily available starting materials and is applied herein to the preparation of the natural lactone dihydromahubanolide B.