is a viable method for synthesis. In particular, we reported
an expedient and practical synthesis of C-6-substituted
galacto-sugars from simple achiral precursors with complete
stereocontrol (5a to 6, Scheme 1).7 This approach relies on
C-11 tetrol stereochemistry of 9 could be established by
applying two Sharpless AD reactions on either dienoate 5a
or trienoate 5b.7
We initially investigated the asymmetric synthesis of
aldehyde 9 from the commercially available ethyl sorbate
(5a) (Scheme 3). As we previously described, ethyl sorbate
Scheme 1. One-Step Synthesis of galacto-γ-Lactone
Scheme 3. Synthesis of Ester 13
the iterative use of an OsO4-catalyzed dihydroxylation
reaction on achiral dienoates such as 5a. To test the utility
of this methodology for natural product synthesis, we decided
to apply it toward the synthesis of various anamarine
analogues.4 Reported herein is our approach to two unnatural
analogues, 10-epi-anamarine and 5,10-epi,epi-anamarine,
which both rely upon the enantio- and regioselective use of
the Sharpless dihydroxylation,8 as well as a Leighton
asymmetric allylation9 and Grubbs metathesis.10
Retrosynthetically, we envisioned that the lactone rings
of 10-epi-anamarine and 5,10-epi,epi-anamarine could be
synthesized by employing a selective metathesis reaction10
of triene 8 (Scheme 2). The triene 8 could be prepared by
(5a) was enantioselectively dihydroxylated and the corre-
sponding diol was protected to give acetonide 10 in good
yield (74% for two steps) and enantiomeric excess (80% ee).7
Acetonide 10 was once again dihydroxylated in a diastereo-
merically matched sense,7 with the pseudoenantiomeric
reagent (2 mol % OsO4, 4 mol % (DHQD)2PHAL, 3 equiv
of K3Fe(CN)6, 3 equiv of K2CO3, and 1 equiv of MeSO2-
NH2) to diastereoselectively give a diol (dr ) 10:1), which
was protected as the acetonide 11 (66% yield for two steps).
As a result of performing the second dihydroxylation (10 to
11) with a diastereomerically matched chiral reagent system,
the acetonide 11 was isolated with greater enantiomeric purity
(>96% ee) than the initial acetonide 10.11
Scheme 2. Retrosynthetic Analysis of 10-epi-Anamarine
With the relative and absolute tetrol stereochemistry
established in 11, we next looked to extend ester 11 into
R,â-unsaturated ester 13. Exhaustive reduction of ester 11
an asymmetric allylation9 of aldehyde 9 followed by an
acylation. Finally, it was envisioned that the C-8 through
(9) Kubota, K.; Leighton, J. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2003, 42, 946-
948.
(4) Migual Carda and Alberto Marco noted that various stereoisomers
of spicigerolide (2) have improved cytotoxicity against several cancer cell
lines; see ref 3b.
(5) (a) Hunter, T. J.; O’Doherty, G. A. Org. Lett. 2002, 4, 4447-4450.
(b) Smith, C. M.; O’Doherty, G. A. Org. Lett. 2003, 5, 1959-1962. (c)
Garaas, S. D.; Hunter, T. J.; O’Doherty, G. A. J. Org. Chem. 2002, 67,
2682-2685. (d) Hunter, T. J.; O’Doherty, G. A. Org. Lett. 2001, 3, 2777-
2780. (e) Li, M.; O’Doherty, G. A. Tetrahedron Lett. 2004, 45, 6407-
6411.
(10) For a review on ring-closing metathesis reactions, see: (a) Grubbs,
R. H.; Chang, S. Tetrahedron 1998, 54, 4413-4450. (b) Deiters, A.; Martin,
S. F. Chem. ReV. 2004, 104, 2199-2238. For other uses of this pyranone
formation in synthesis, see refs 5b-e and: (c) Pradaux, F.; Bouzbouz, S.
Org. Lett. 2001, 3, 2233-2235. (d) Ghosh, A. K.; Wang, Y.; Kim, J. T. J.
Org. Chem. 2001, 66, 8973-8982. (e) Reddy, M. V. R.; Yucel, A. J.;
Ramachandran, P. V. J. Org. Chem. 2001, 66, 2512-2514. (f) Wang, Y.-
G.; Kobayashi, Y. Org. Lett. 2002, 4, 4615-4618. (g) Mizutani, H.;
Watanabe, M.; Honda, T. Tetrahedron 2002, 58, 8929-8936. (h) Trost, B.
M.; Yeh, V. S. C. Org. Lett. 2002, 4, 3513-3516. (i) Falomir, E.; Murga,
J.; Carda, M.; Marco, J. A. Tetrahedron Lett. 2003, 44, 539-541.
(11) While the conversion of 10 to 11 is a diastereoselective matched
reaction with the (DHQD)2PHAL/OsO4 reagent system, the reaction occurs
at a significantly slower rate and, as a result, a higher catalyst loading is
required (2% OsO4 and 4% (DHQD)2PHAL, see Scheme 3).
(6) For a quite elegant use of this methodology in total synthesis, see:
Smith, A. B., III; Walsh, S. P.; Frohn, M.; Duffey, M. O. Org. Lett. 2005,
7, 139-142.
(7) Ahmed, Md. M.; Berry, B. P.; Hunter, T. J.; Tomcik, D. J.;
O’Doherty, G. A. Org. Lett. 2005, 7, 745-748.
(8) Kolb, H. C.; VanNieuwenhze, M. S.; Sharpless, K. B. Chem. ReV.
1994, 94, 2483-2547.
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