An unusual reaction between 1,3-dithiane anions and by 5-(alkylsulfanyl)-1-phenyltetrazoles has been discovered in which the dithiane anion formally displaces the 1-phenyltetrazole ring from sulfur to provide a sulfanylated dithiane.
KeywordsTetrafibricin; Total synthesis; 1,3-Dithianes; 5-(Alkylsulfanyl)-1-phenyltetrazoles; Nucleophilic additions; Sulfanylations; Sulfur chemistryThe natural product tetrafibricin 1 was isolated in 1993 by Kamayama and coworkers, and they assigned its two-dimensional constitution by a battery of spectroscopic methods 1 . The compound has a linear carbon backbone featuring 11 stereocenters (10 with hydroxy groups and one with a methyl group), is a tetraene, with three isolated trans double bonds, and assorted other functional groups. In 2003, Kishi and coworkers assigned the threedimensional structure (configuration) of 1 without resorting to derivatization or degradation by comparing NMR spectra of the natural product in both chiral and achiral solvents to an NMR database of fragment spectra 2 . Roush 3 and Cossy 4 have described syntheses of fragments of 1.We have advanced a retrosynthetic strategy in Fig. 1 of the disassembled tetrafibricin 1 into six main fragments 2-7. Though the synthesis has not yet been completed, all of the fragments have been made, and assorted couplings have been established 5 . Along the way to making the C21-C30 fragment 4, we encountered an unusual reaction between a dithiane anion 6 and a 5-(alkylsulfanyl)-1-phenyltetrazoles. Herein we describe this reaction, which, in the context of the tetrafibricin synthesis, proved to be a temporary roadblock. We also describe a straightforward detour around this roadblock to complete the synthesis of a modified C21-C30 fragment.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONThe two fragments 13 and 17 needed to make 4 were synthesized as shown in Scheme 1. Oxidation 7 of commercially available dioxolane alcohol (S)-8 to aldehyde 9 was followed by the Wittig reaction and non-selective epoxidation of the resulting alkene 10 to give a