A s y m m e t r i c S y n t h e s i s o f ( S , S ) -a n d ( R , R ) -2 -M e t h y l t h r e i t o lAbstract: The asymmetric synthesis of (S,S)-and (R,R)-2-methylthreitol was carried out, starting from the SAMP or RAMP hydrazone of 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxan-5-one. The protocol involves an enantioselective a-alkylation as a key step. The second stereogenic center was installed by either nucleophilic 1,2-addition or diastereoselective epoxidation with bis(acetylacetonato)oxovanadium(IV) [VO(acac) 2 ] as catalyst. The title compounds were obtained in excellent diastereo-and enantiomeric excesses (≥98% de, 98% ee) and in good overall yields (40-61%).(+)-2-Methylerythritol plays an important role in the mevalonate-free, methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway for the biosynthesis of terpenoids in algae, plant chloroplasts, and Gram-negative bacteria. 1 This could be a starting point for the development of new microbe-inhibiting drugs. 2,3 Up to now the effect of the other stereoisomers on the MEP pathway are unknown. In addition, the tetrols occur in the atmosphere, mainly above the rainforest, where they act as condensation nuclei and scatter sunlight. 4 They arise by photooxidation of isoprene, leading to a mixture of all four stereoisomers. Up to now only (+)-2-methylerythritol 3,5 and (+)-2-methylthreitol 3 have been synthesized by asymmetric synthesis with moderate enantiomeric excess. Very recently, a chemo-enzymatic synthesis of all four isomers was published. 6 We envisaged a new diastereo-and enantioselective route to both enantiomers of the title 2-methylthreitol (1) based on a-hydroxymethylation of the SAMP-or RAMP-derived hydrazone of 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxan-5-one [(S)-or (R)-2] 7 and a nucleophilic 1,2-addition to generate the quaternary stereocenter as key steps (Scheme 1).
Scheme 1 Retrosynthetic analysis for 2-methylthreitolSAMP-derived hydrazone (S)-2, easily obtained in multigram quantities by condensation of the chiral auxiliary SAMP and the corresponding dioxanone, 8,9 was metalated with tert-butyllithium, and the azaenolate was trapped with (benzyloxy)methyl chloride (BOMCl) (Scheme 2). Acidic hydrazone cleavage 10 gave the a-[(benzyloxy)methyl]-substituted dioxanone (S)-3, obtained in 48% yield over two steps. Dioxanone (S)-3 was obtained in 98% ee (determined by CSP-GC analysis), indicating that the hydrazone alkylation occurred with virtually complete asymmetric induction and that the auxiliary was removed without any racemization. Next, ketone (S)-3 was reacted with methyllithium to afford the tertiary alcohol (S,S)-4 (Scheme 2), thus introducing the second and contiguous quaternary stereocenter. The nucleophilic 1,2-addition proceeded in good diastereoselectivity (84% de) and under optimized reaction conditions in 87% yield. The major diastereomer (S,S)-4 could be efficiently separated (in ≥98% de) from its diastereomeric impurity by preparative HPLC. Finally, two deprotection steps were performed to obtain (S,S)-2-methylthreitol [(S,S)-1] (Scheme 2). The acetonide function was hydrolyzed unde...