m-Chloroperbenzoic acid → Epothilone A

Participants

Reaction Steps

The cis-olefin 49 was converted to epothilone A (1) by the action of mCPBA (0.8-1.2 equivalents) in a reaction that, in addition to 1 (35% yield), produced the isomeric epoxides 51 (13% yield), 52 (or 53) (9% yield, stereochemistry unassigned) and 53 (or 52) (7% yield, stereochemistry unassigned), as well as bis(epoxides) 54 (or 55) and 55 (or 54) (10% total yield, stereochemistry unassigned). Reaction of olefin 49 with excess mCPBA (1.3-2.0 equivalents) gave a different product distribution: 1 (15%), 51 (10%), 52 (or 53) (10%), 53 (or 52) (8%), 54 (or 55) (8%), 55 (or 54) (7%), 56 (5%), and 57 (5%). The action of dimethyldioxirane (Murray et al. J. Org. Chem. 1985, 50, 2847-2853) (Methylene chloride, 0° C.) on 49 gave mainly 1 (50%) and 51 (15%), together with small amounts of 53 (or 54) and 54 (or 53) (10% total yield).

Provenance & Evidence