Facile entry to an efficient and practical enantioselective synthesis of a polycyclic cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor.

An efficient enantioselective synthesis of the chiral polycyclic cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor 1 has been developed. The synthesis was rendered practical for large scale via the development of a modified Hantzsch-type reaction to prepare the sterically hindered pyridine ring, enantioselective hydrogenation of hindered ketone 6 utilizing novel BIBOP-amino-pyridine derived Ru complex, efficient ICl promoted lactone formation, and a BF3 mediated hydrogenation process for diastereoselective lactol reduction. This efficient route was successfully scaled to produce multikilogram quantities of challenging CETP drug candidate 1.

Norbornyl cations of group 14 elements.

Norbornyl cations of the group 14 elements Si --> Pb have been synthesized from substituted 3-cyclopentenemethyl precursors by intramolecular addition of transient cations to the C=C double bond of the 3-cyclopentenemethyl substituent (pi-route to norbornyl cations). The norbornyl cations 4a (E = Si, R = Me), 4e (E = Si, R = Et), 4f (E = Si, R = Bu), 4g (E = Ge, R = Bu), 4h (E = Sn, R = Bu), and 4i (E = Pb, R = Et) have been identified by their characteristic NMR chemical shifts (4a,e,f, delta((29)Si) = 80-87, delta((13)C)(CH=) = 149.6-150.6; 4g, delta((13)C)(CH=) = 144.8; 4h, delta((119)Sn) = 334, delta((13)C)(CH=) = 141.5; 4i, delta((207)Pb) = 1049, delta((13)C)(CH=) = 138). The significant deshielding of the vinylic carbon atoms (Deltadelta((13)C)) relative to those of the precursor (Deltadelta((13)C) = 19.3-20.3 (4a,e,f), Deltadelta((13)C) = 14.6 (4g), Deltadelta((13)C) = 11.1 (4h), Deltadelta((13)C) approximately 8 (4i)) and the small J coupling constants between the element and the remote vinyl carbons in the case of 4h and 4i (J(CSn) = 26 Hz, J(CPb) = 16 Hz) give experimental evidence for the intramolecular interaction and the charge transfer between the positively charged element and the remote C=C double bond. The experimental results are supported by quantum mechanical calculations of structures, energies, and magnetic properties for the norbornyl cations 4a,b (E = Ge, R = Me), 4c (E = Sn, R = Me), 4d (E = Pb, R = Me), and 4e,f at the GIAO/B3LYP/6-311G(3d,p)//MP2/6-311G(d,p) (Si, Ge, C, H), SDD (Sn, Pb) level of theory. The calculated (29)Si NMR chemical shifts for the silanorbornyl cations 4a,e,f (delta((29)Si) = 77-93) agree well with experiment, and the calculated structures of the cations 4a-f reveal their bridged norbornyl cation nature and suggest also for the experimentally observed species 4a,e-i a formally 3 + 1 coordination for the element atom with the extra coordination provided by the C=C double bond. This places five carbon atoms in the close vicinity of the positively charged element atom. The group 14 element norbornyl cations 4a,e-i exhibit only negligible interactions with the aromatic solvent, and they are, depending on the nature of the element group, stable at room temperature in aromatic solvents for periods ranging from a few hours to days. In acetonitrile solution, the intramolecular interaction in the norbornyl cations 4a,e-h breaks down and nitrilium ions with the element in a tetrahedral environment are formed. In contrast, reaction of acetonitrile with the plumbyl cation 4i forms an acetonitrile complex, 10i, in which the norbornyl cation structure is preserved. The X-ray structure of 10i reveals a trigonal bipyramidal environment for the lead atom with the C=C double bond of the cyclopentenemethyl ligand and the nitrogen atom of the acetonitrile molecule in apical positions. Density functional calculations at the B3LYP/6-311G(2d,p)//(B3LYP/6-31G(d) (C, H), SDD (Si, Ge, Sn, Pb)) + DeltaZPVE level indicate that the thermodynamic stability of the group 14 norbornyl cations increases from Si to Pb. This results in a relative stabilization for the plumbanorbornyl cation 4d compared to tert-butyl cation of 52.7 kcal mol(-)(1). In contrast, the intramolecular stabilization energy E(A) of the norbornyl cations 4a-d decreases, suggesting reduced interaction between the C=C double bond and the electron-deficient element center in the plumbacation compared to the silacations. This points to a reduced electrophilicity of the plumbacation compared to its predecessors.