Synlett 2011(10): 1395-1398  
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1260564
LETTER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ˙ New York

Efficient Synthesis of the Spiroacetal Core of Paecilospirone via Oxidative Radical Cyclisation

Morgan Jay-Smith, Daniel P. Furkert, Jonathan Sperry, Margaret A. Brimble*
Department of Chemistry, University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Auckland, New Zealand
Fax: +64(9)3737422; e-Mail: m.brimble@auckland.ac.nz;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 25 February 2011
Publication Date:
13 May 2011 (online)

Abstract

The spiroacetal core of the microtubule assembly inhibitor paecilospirone has been prepared using two separate oxidative cyclisation methods.

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Spiroacetal 5 Iodine (67 mg, 0.26 mmol) and iodobenzene diacetate (84 mg, 0.26 mmol) were added to a solution of benzyl alcohol 6 (30 mg, 0.13 mmol) in cyclohexane (5 mL), and the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 60 W desk lamp. After stirring for 1 h at r.t., the reaction mixture was diluted with hexane-EtOAc (1:1, 20 mL total) and shaken with sat. aq Na2S2O3 (4 mL) until colourless. The mixture was washed with brine, extracted with EtOAc, and the aqueous layer was further extracted with EtOAc. The combined organic phases were then dried over anhyd MgSO4 and the solvent removed in vacuo. Purification via flash column chromatography using hexane-EtOAc (9:1) as eluent afforded the title compound 5 (18 mg, 0.076 mmol, 61%) as a pale yellow oil. R f  = 0.40 (2:1, hexane-EtOAc). IR: 2923, 2868, 1656, 1582, 1487, 1456, 1373, 1232, 1110, 1004, 904, 746 cm. ¹H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 2.21 (1 H, ddd, J = 13.2, 5.6, 2.0 Hz, CH2, PhCH2CH 2), 2.45 (1 H, td, J = 13.2, 5.6 Hz, CH2, PhCH2CH 2), 2.88 (1 H, ddd, J = 16.0, 5.6, 2.0 Hz, CH2, PhCH 2CH2), 3.29 (1 H, ddd, J = 16.0, 13.6, 6.0 Hz, CH2, PhCH 2CH2), 5.05 (1 H, d, J = 12.4 Hz, CH2, PhCH2O), 5.30 (1 H, d, J = 12.4, CH2, PhCH2O), 6.79 (1 H, dd, J = 8.0, 1.2 Hz, Ar, PhH), 6.90 (1 H, td, J = 3.6, 0.8 Hz, Ar, PhH), 7.10 (1 H, t, J = 7.6 Hz, Ar, PhH), 7.15 (1 H, d, J = 7.6 Hz, Ar, PhH), 7.33 (1 H, dt, J = 7.2, 0.8 Hz, Ar, PhH), 7.38-7.44 (3 H, m, Ar, PhH). ¹³C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 21.8 (CH2, PhCH2CH2), 30.2 (CH2, PhCH2 CH2), 71.7 (CH2, PhCH2O), 108.2 (q, spiroacetal), 117.1 (CH, Ar), 120.8 (CH, Ar), 121.3 (CH, Ar), 121.7 (q, Ar), 122.0 (CH, Ar), 127.4 (CH, Ar), 127.9 (CH, Ar), 129.1 (CH, Ar), 129.4 (CH, Ar), 140.0 (2 × q, 2 × Ar), 153.2 (q, Ar). MS (ESI+): m/z (%) = 239(100) [MH+]. HRMS: m/z calcd for C16H15O2 [M + H]+: 239.1072; found: 239.1075.

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Spiroacetal 17 2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (67 mg, 0.30 mmol) was added to a solution of compound 14 (70 mg, 0.20 mmol) in CH2Cl2-H2O (9:1, 3.3 mL total). The dark green reaction was stirred for 90 min at r.t. and then filtered through cotton wool. The reaction mixture was washed with brine, extracted with EtOAc, and the aqueous layer was further extracted with EtOAc. The combined organic phases were then dried over anhyd MgSO4 and the solvent removed in vacuo. Purification by flash column chromatography using hexane-EtOAc (9:1) afforded the title compound 17 (45 mg, 0.19 mmol, 95%) as a yellow oil. R f  = 0.59 (2:1, hexane-EtOAc). IR: 2854, 1611, 1512, 1486, 1456, 1246, 1033, 820, 757 cm. ¹H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 5.05 (1 H, d, J = 12.4 Hz, CH2, PhCH2O), 5.33 (1 H, d, J = 12.4 Hz, CH2, PhCH2O), 5.87 (1 H, d, J = 9.6 Hz, PhCH=CH), 6.90 (2 H, t, J = 10.0 Hz, PhCH=CH, PhH), 6.98 (1 H, t, J = 7.6 Hz, Ar, PhH), 7.20-7.22 (2 H, m, Ar, PhH), 7.34 (1 H, dt, J = 7.6, 0.8 Hz, Ar, PhH), 7.39-7.40 (2 H, m, Ar, PhH), 7.42-7.46 (1 H, m, Ar, PhH). ¹³C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 71.8 (CH2, PhCH2O), 107.7 (q, spiroacetal), 116.6 (CH, PhCH=CH), 119.7 (q, Ar), 121.1 (CH, PhCH=CH), 121.2 (CH, Ar), 121.5 (CH, Ar), 123.2 (CH, Ar), 126.9 (CH, Ar), 127.0 (CH, Ar), 128.1 (CH, Ar), 129.6 (CH, Ar), 129.6 (CH, Ar), 139.7 (q, Ar), 140.2 (q, Ar), 151.5 (q, Ar). MS (ESI+): m/z (%) = 237(100) [MH+]. HRMS: m/z calcd for C16H13O2 [M + H]+: 237.0910; found: 237.0915.