Synlett 2002(7): 1073-1076
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-32574
LETTER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

The Use of Chiral Dithianes for the Synthesis of Chiral α-Oxo-β-Alkyl and Chiral α-Oxo-β-Aryl Esters

Elizabeth Tyrrell*, George A. Skinner, John Janes, Greig Milsom
Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2EE, UK
e-Mail: e.tyrrell@kingston.ac.uk;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 7 May 2002
Publication Date:
07 February 2007 (online)

Abstract

A number of chiral dithianes were synthesised using chiral auxiliary technology. These were then used as acyl anion equivalents in the synthesis of chiral α-oxo-β-alkyl and chiral α-oxo-β-aryl esters.

7

Via both amino acid and cyanohydrin chemistry.

16

Other methods for the oxidation of (2S)-(-)2-methylbutan-1-ol 5 to (2S)-(+)-2-methylbutanal (6; Table 3).


Table 3 Preparation of (2S)-(+)-2-Methylbutanol (6)

Procedure %Yield %ee [17]

PCC 45 55
Parikh-Moffatt 56 87
Swern 63 90
Dess-Martin 75 90
NaOCl-TEMPO 82 93

17

These data were determined by reference to literature values or by reduction to the known alcohol using the procedure described by Brown. [12]

21

The enantiomeric purity was determined by reference to the sharp singlet corresponding to the methyl ester using 1H NMR experiments at 300 MHz.

22

The antipodes were accessible by use of (4R)-(+)-4-benzyl-(+)-oxazolidinone.