Diastereoselective intramolecular Diels–Alder reactions of the furan diene: the synthesis of (±)-1,4-epoxycadinane

Abstract

The diastereoselective intramolecular Diels–Alder reactions of the furan diene (IMDAF), in which the side arm comprises four carbon atoms and is substituted by a methyl group adjacent to, or one carbon removed from, the furan ring, are described. Adducts are formed in moderate to excellent yields when treated with either Florisil in methylene chloride at room temperature or methylaluminum dichloride in methylene chloride at −78 °C. Florisil is most effective for substrates containing unsubstituted dienophiles. An equimolar quantity (1.1 equivalents) of methylaluminum dichloride is most effective for precursors having methacrolein-type dienophiles, while a catalytic quantity (0.1 equivalent) is effective for crotonaldehyde-type dienophiles. Only the adducts with the side arm orientated syn with respect to the oxygen bridge are detected and isolated. The major diastereomer is the one in which the methyl group (initially on the side arm) is situated equatorially on the newly formed six-membered ring. An application of the diastereoselective IMDAF reaction to the synthesis of (±)-1,4-epoxycadinane is described, beginning with 2-methylfuran.