PAPER
Synthesis of a Hydroxymethyl Tricyclic Ketone from Cyclohexanone
3253
(
±)-(4aS,8aS)-1,4a-Dimethyl-2-oxo-2,3,4,4a,6,7,8,8a,9,10-deca-
1.52 (m, 2 H), 1.39 (br s, 1 H), 1.30 (br s, 1 H), 1.22 (s, 3 H), 1.25–
1.05 (m, 2 H).
7
hydrophenanthrene-8a-carboxylic Acid (2)
To anhyd MeOH (256 mL) cooled in an ice-water bath, Na metal
13
C NMR (CDCl ): δ = 146.6, 139.7, 127.1, 123.6, 71.4, 66.9, 40.9,
3
(
11.8 g, 0.512 mol, 4.0 equiv) was added. When the Na was com-
pletely dissolved in MeOH, 2-(methoxycarbonyl)cyclohexanone
20.0 g, 0.128 mol) was added and the mixture was heated to reflux.
To the mixture at reflux 1-chloropentan-3-one (40 mL, 0.30 mol,
.3 equiv) was added using a syringe pump over 14 h. After the ad-
39.6, 36.6, 35.6, 34.3, 29.8, 29.7, 25.8, 22.8, 17.9, 15.2.
(
MS (ESI+): m/z = 285.2 [M + Na]+.
+
HRMS (ESI+): m/z [M + Na] calcd for C H O Na: 285.1830;
1
7
26
2
2
found: 285.1825.
dition was complete, the mixture was heated under reflux for an ad-
ditional 6 h. The MeOH was removed in vacuo, and CH Cl (200
mL) and 5% aq HCl (200 mL) were added to acidify the mixture.
Anal. Calcd for C H O : C, 77.82; H, 9.99. Found: C, 77.93; H,
17 26
2
2
2
9.91.
The acidic mixture was extracted with CH Cl (200 mL). The or-
2
2
(
±)-(4aS,8aS)-8a-(Hydroxymethyl)-1,4a-dimethyl-
ganic solution was extracted with 1 M aq NaOH (2 × 300 mL). The
basic solution was washed with CH Cl (500 mL) and acidified with
4
,4a,6,7,8,8a,9,10-octahydrophenanthren-2(3H)-one (8a)
2
2
A mixture of 7a and 7b (14.9 g, 57.0 mmol) and DDQ (19.4 g, 85.5
mmol, 1.5 equiv) in 1,4-dioxane (710 mL) was stirred at 40 °C for
1
was dissolved in CH Cl (500 mL). The mixture was washed with 1
M aq NaOH (500 mL), H O (500 mL), and brine (500 mL), dried
concd aq HCl (100 mL) to give a precipitate. The mixture contain-
ing precipitates was extracted with CH Cl (2 × 300 mL). The com-
2
2
2 h. After removal of 1,4-dioxane in vacuo, the resulting residue
bined extracts were washed with brine (500 mL), dried (MgSO4),
filtered, and then concentrated in vacuo to give 2 (27.1 g, 77%) as
an amorphous solid that was used in the next reaction without fur-
ther purification.
2
2
2
(MgSO ), and concentrated in vacuo to give a residue that was fil-
4
tered through a pad of silica gel (hexanes–EtOAc, 2:1) to afford 8a
as a crystalline solid (12.1 g, 82%); mp 135–136 °C.
1
H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl ): δ = 5.88 (t, J = 3.8 Hz, 1 H), 2.66–2.43
3
(
m, 5 H), 2.25 (ddd, J = 2.2, 2.2, 18.5 Hz, 1 H), 2.20–2.07 (m, 1 H),
1
H NMR (CDCl ): δ = 5.74 (dd, J = 3.8, 3.8 Hz, 1 H), 3.85 and 3.74
3
2
2
1
.07–1.97 (m, 2 H), 1.88–1.76 (m, 1 H), 1.77 (s, 3 H), 1.73–1.62 (m,
H), 1.55 (ddd, J = 3.4, 13.7, 13.7 Hz, 1 H), 1.46–1.36 (m, 1 H),
.29 (s, 3 H).
(
ABq, J = 11.2 Hz, each 1 H), 2.59 (ddd, J = 4.2, 5.7, 15.7 Hz, 1 H),
.58–2.41 (m, 3 H), 2.20–2.13 (m, 2 H), 2.10–2.05 (m, 2 H), 2.01
ddd, J = 4.2, 5.7, 13.6 Hz, 1 H), 1.86–1.80 (m, 2 H), 1.78 (d, J = 0.9
Hz, 3 H), 1.67–1.58 (m, 2 H), 1.32 (s, 3 H), 1.30–1.14 (m, 2 H).
2
(
(
±)-(2R,4aS,8aS)-8a-(Hydroxymethyl)-1,4a-dimethyl-
,3,4,4a,6,7,8,8a,9,10-decahydrophenanthren-2-ol (7a) and (±)-
2S,4aS,8aS)-8a-(Hydroxymethyl)-1,4a-dimethyl-
,3,4,4a,6,7,8,8a,9,10-decahydrophenanthren-2-ol (7b)
13
2
C NMR (CDCl ): δ = 198.6, 163.4, 145.3, 128.4, 124.6, 66.3, 41.1,
3
(
2
3
9.4, 35.0, 34.2, 34.1, 33.1, 27.6, 25.6, 25.0, 17.5, 11.4.
MS (ESI+): m/z = 261.2 [M + H]+.
To a solution of 2 (13.6 g, 49.6 mmol) in toluene (550 mL) heated
to 110 °C, a 3.5 M solution of Red-Al in toluene (56.6 mL, 198
mmol, 4.0 equiv) was added. The solution was stirred at this tem-
perature for 14 h. The mixture was cooled in an ice-water bath and
then 1 M aq NaOH (4 mL) and H O (14 mL) were successively add-
ed. The organic layer was washed with 1 M aq NaOH (400 mL),
+
HRMS (ESI+): m/z [M + H] calcd for C H O : 261.1855; found:
2
17
25
2
61.1849.
Anal. Calcd for C H O : C, 78.42; H, 9.29. Found: C, 78.26; H,
9
17
24
2
2
.26.
H O (400 mL), and brine (400 mL), then it was dried (MgSO ), fil-
tered, and concentrated in vacuo to give a residue. The residue was
filtered through a pad of silica gel (hexanes–EtOAc, 2:1) to afford
2
4
(
±)-(4aS,8aS)-8a-(Hydroxymethyl)-1,1,4a-trimethyl-
3
,4,4a,6,7,8,8a,9,10,10a-decahydrophenanthren-2(1H)-one (4c)
Li (sliced ribbon 98%, 2.40 g, 339 mmol, 7.2 equiv) was added to
liquid NH (400 mL), and then the solution was stirred at –78 °C for
1
7a and 7b [9.97 g, 77% as a mixture of two diastereomers (1:3)] as
3
a colorless solid. Analytical samples of 7a and 7b were obtained by
flash column chromatography (hexanes–EtOAc, 3:1).
h. A solution of 8a (12.5 g, 48.0 mmol) and H O (864 mg, 48.0
2
mmol, 1.0 equiv) in THF (192 mL) were added dropwise and the
mixture was stirred under reflux at –33 °C (bp of NH , with the aid
3
7
a
of a CCl bath) for 1 h. The mixture was cooled to –78 °C and iso-
4
Mp 145–146 °C.
prene (approx. 10.5 mL) was injected until the blue color disap-
peared turning the solution cloudy white. To this mixture, THF
(69.6 mL) and MeI (69.6 mL, 1.12 mol, 23 equiv) were successively
added dropwise. The mixture was stirred under reflux at –33 °C for
1 h. After removal of the NH with the aid of a N stream, sat. aq
1
H NMR (CDCl ): δ = 5.80 (dd, J = 3.8, 3.8 Hz, 1 H), 3.87 (s, 1 H),
3
3.78 and 3.76 (ABq, J = 11.0 Hz, each 1 H), 2.45 (ddd, J = 1.5, 1.5,
14.6 Hz, 1 H), 2.19–2.08 (m, 3 H), 1.99–1.74 (m, 5 H), 1.78 (d,
J = 0.7 Hz, 3 H), 1.69 (m, 1 H), 1.67–1.52 (m, 2 H), 1.47 (br s, 1 H),
3
2
1.33 (br s, 1 H), 1.23–1.13 (m, 2 H), 1.14 (s, 3 H).
NH Cl soln (100 mL) was added and the aqueous mixture was ex-
4
1
3
tracted with EtOAc (3 × 100 mL). The extract was dried (MgSO4),
filtered, and then concentrated in vacuo to give a residue that was
filtered through a pad of silica gel (hexanes–EtOAc, 3:1) to afford
4c as a crystalline solid (10.3 g, 78%); mp 109–110 °C.
1
C NMR (CDCl ): δ = 147.1, 140.6, 125.6, 123.9, 69.5, 66.6, 40.4,
3
3
9.5, 36.3, 35.1, 31.6, 28.3, 28.2, 25.9, 22.3, 17.91, 17.85.
+
MS (ESI+): m/z = 245.2 [M – H O + H] .
2
+
HRMS (ESI+): m/z [M – H O + H] calcd for C H O: 245.1900;
found: 245.1899.
2
17 25
H NMR (CDCl ): δ = 5.67 (dd, J = 3.8, 3.8 Hz, 1 H), 3.68 (s, 2 H),
3
2.68 (ddd, J = 6.6, 12.5, 15.7 Hz, 1 H), 2.43 (ddd, J = 3.3, 5.9, 15.7
Anal. Calcd for C H O ·0.25 H O: C, 76.50; H, 10.01. Found: C,
Hz, 1 H), 2.20–1.00 (m, 14 H), 1.20 (d, J = 0.6 Hz, 3 H), 1.08 (s, 3
H), 1.06 (s, 3 H).
1
7
26
2
2
76.74; H, 9.94.
13
C NMR (CDCl ): δ = 217.0, 148.0, 123.0, 67.0, 54.1, 47.9, 39.7,
3
7
b
3
9.0, 38.0, 37.1, 36.7, 34.9, 26.1, 26.0, 22.6, 21.8, 19.7, 18.1.
Mp 147–150 °C.
+
1
MS (EI): m/z = 276 [M] , 245, 227, 203.
HRMS (EI): m/z [M]+ calcd for C H O : 276.2089; found:
H NMR (CDCl ): δ = 5.71 (dd, J = 3.8, 3.8 Hz, 1 H), 4.01 (dd,
3
J = 7.2, 7.2 Hz, 1 H), 3.76 (s, 2 H), 2.44 (ddd, J = 3.9, 3.9, 14.6 Hz,
1
8
28
2
1
4
H), 2.19 (m, 1 H), 2.13 (dd, J = 3.9, 4.9 Hz, 1 H), 2.11 (dd, J = 1.1,
.0 Hz, 1 H), 2.04 (m, 1 H), 1.92–1.70 (m, 5 H), 1.73 (s, 3 H), 1.63–
276.2082.
Anal. Calcd for C H O : C, 78.21; H, 10.21. Found: C, 77.92; H,
1
8
28
2
1
0.12.
©
Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York
Synthesis 2013, 45, 3251–3254