Synlett 2008(15): 2345-2347  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1078268
LETTER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ˙ New York

[1,2]-Wittig Rearrangement of (Benzyloxy)acetamides

Thomas Hameurya, Jérôme Guillemontb, Luc Van Hijfteb, Véronique Bellosta*a, Janine Cossy*a
a Laboratoire de Chimie Organique, ESPCI ParisTech, CNRS, 10 Rue Vauquelin, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
Fax: +33(1)40794660; e-Mail: janine.cossy@espci.fr;
b Tibotec, a Division of Janssen-Cilag SAS, Janssen-Cilag Research Center, Campus de Maigremont, 27106 Val de Reuil, France
Further Information

Publication History

Received 2 May 2008
Publication Date:
21 August 2008 (online)

Abstract

[1,2]-Wittig rearrangement of (benzyloxy)acetamides can lead to substituted α-hydroxyamides in good yields and good ­diastereoselectivity.

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Representative Procedure for the Preparation of (Benzyloxy)acetamides 3
To a solution of alcohol 1 (1.1 mmol) and bromoacetyl-pyrrolidine (2, 1 mmol) in toluene (15 mL), at r.t., was added n-Bu4NHSO4 (0.2 mmol) and a 35% aq NaOH solution (15 mL). The mixture was then stirred vigorously at r.t., and the reaction was monitored by TLC. After 3-4 h, H2O (20 mL) and Et2O (20 mL) were added at 0 ˚C. The aqueous layer was extracted with Et2O (5 × 30 mL), and the combined organic layers were washed with sat. aq NH4Cl soln (50 mL), dried over MgSO4, and concentrated in vacuo. The crude residue was purified on SiO2 (PE-EtOAc) to afford(benzyloxy)acetamide 3. Amide 3k with R¹ = (CH2)2OTBS (Table  [²] , entry 11) was obtained from amide 3f (Table  [¹] , entry 6) by using the following sequence: 1) O3, MeOH, -78 ˚C then Ph3P, CH2Cl2, -78 ˚C to r.t.; 2) NaBH4, EtOH, 0 ˚C; 3) TBSCl, Et3N, DMAP, CH2Cl2, 0 ˚C (60% over 3 steps).

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Representative Procedure for the [1,2]-Wittig Rearrangement of (Benzyloxy)acetamides 3
To a solution of(benzyloxy)acetamide 3 (0.2 mmol) in THF (3 mL), at -30 ˚C, was added dropwise a 1 M solution of LiHMDS in THF (2.5 equiv). The reaction mixture was then warmed to 0 ˚C over 2-3 h, before being hydrolyzed with sat. aq NH4Cl soln (10 mL). The aqueous layer was then extracted with Et2O (3 × 20 mL). The combined organic layers were dried over MgSO4, and concentrated in vacuo. The crude residue was purified on SiO2 (PE-EtOAc) to afford α-hydroxyamide 4.

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Similarities in term of chemical shift between the different hydroxyamides 4 were particularly relevant for the proton at the α-position of the amide, for which δmajor < δminor in all cases.

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In all cases ³ J major > ³ J minor except for hydroxyamide 4i (Table  [²] , entry 9). For compound 4i, ³ J major = 4.3 Hz and ³ J minor = 5.0 Hz. Therefore, the syn stereochemistry remained ambiguous in this latter case.