Synthons for Polyketides: An Improved Synthesis of Methyl 3,3-Dialkoxy-2-methylpropanoates

Article abstract of DOI:10.1055/s-1987-28021

A versatile conversion of methyl methacrylate to methyl 3,3-dialkoxy-2-methylpropanoates proceeds via bromination, then treatment with excess sodium methoxide to yield methyl 3,3-dimethoxy-2-methylpropanoate, which can be transacetalized by treatment with alcohols under acid catalysis to yield the title compounds.Stereoselective chain-extension reactions of these compounds by aldol additions to the aldehydes derived from the ester group (C-1), or by titanium(IV)-mediated allylsilane additions to the acetal carbon (C-3), are examples of the potential utility of methyl 3,3-dialkoxy-2-methylpropanoates to natural products syntheses.