A Facilitated Cyclic Ether Formation and Its Potential Application in Solid-Phase Peptide and Organic Synthesis

Abstract

A "trimethyl lock" system has been known to facilitate lactonization reactions through what has been termed a stereopopulation contorl mechanism. We have found that a similar trimethyl lock system can also facilitate cyclic ether formation with the concomitant release of a carboxylic acid in the presence of anhydrous tetrabutylammonium fluoride. To study this base-mediated trimethyl lock-facilitated cyclic ether formation, we synthesized fifteen model compounds. All model compounds underwent base-mediated cyclic ether formation in high yields at 0°C to room temperature (r.t.) with the concomitant release of the attached carboxylate. Such a system potentially could be used for the development of a two-dimensional linker for solid phase peptide and organic synthesis.