A practical and scaleable total synthesis of the jaborandi alkaloid (+)-pilocarpine
The total synthesis of (+)-pilocarpine (as its nitrate salt) has been achieved in nine steps and 30% overall yield starting from racemic 2-(2′,2′-dimethoxyethyl)propane-1,3-diol, which was desymmetrised via an enzymatic protocol. A high yielding synthesis of a key α-ethylidene lactone precursor has...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2009
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| Summary: | The total synthesis of (+)-pilocarpine (as its nitrate salt) has been achieved in nine steps and 30% overall yield starting from racemic 2-(2′,2′-dimethoxyethyl)propane-1,3-diol, which was desymmetrised via an enzymatic protocol. A high yielding synthesis of a key α-ethylidene lactone precursor has been developed, which involves the palladium-catalysed decarboxylation/carbonylation of a 1,3-dioxan-2-one for formation of the γ-butyrolactone ring. Subsequent hydrogenation of the α-ethylidene lactone introduces the C(3)-stereochemistry to give a 72:28 mixture of (+)-pilocarpine and (+)-isopilocarpine, which are readily separable via recrystallisation of the (+)-pilocarpine nitrate salt. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
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