TOTAL SYNTHESIS OF THE CEMBRANOID DITERPENE LACTONE (-CLEOMEOLIDE - SOME REMARKABLE CONFORMATIONAL FEATURES OF 9-MEMBERED BELTS LINKED IN 2,6-FASHION TO A METHYLENECYCLOHEXANE CORE())
La. Paquette et al., TOTAL SYNTHESIS OF THE CEMBRANOID DITERPENE LACTONE (-CLEOMEOLIDE - SOME REMARKABLE CONFORMATIONAL FEATURES OF 9-MEMBERED BELTS LINKED IN 2,6-FASHION TO A METHYLENECYCLOHEXANE CORE()), Journal of the American Chemical Society, 116(8), 1994, pp. 3367-3374
The total synthesis of (+)-cleomeolide (1) has been accomplished. The
key construction elements of this cembranoid lactone were (i) improved
conversion of optically pure Wieland-Miescher ketone into dienol ethe
r 12 and oxidative cleavage of the latter to aldehydo ester 13; (ii) a
voidance of complications arising from steric blockade of C-15 for int
roduction of the methylene group at that site; (iii) exploitation of a
n intramolecular Wadsworth-Emmons cyclization for macrocyclic ring con
struction; (iv) modulation of the conformation adopted by the medium r
ing by diastereofacial control of epoxidation of the C-3/C-4 double bo
nd; and (v) intramolecular cyclization of the epoxy acid derived from
27 by nucleophilic capture at the more substituted oxiranyl carbon to
deliver the target molecule. The deep-seated topographical change that
accompanies the formation of 29 projects the macrocyclic ring quasi-a
xially from the methylenecyclohexane subunit in the manner known by X-
ray crystallography to be adopted by the target compound. The intramol
ecular cyclization to set the bridgehead double bond was thereby facil
itated.