syn-Benzene dioxides: chemoenzymatic synthesis from 2,3-cis-dihydrodiol derivatives of monosubstituted benzenes and their application in the synthesis of regioisomeric 1,2- and 3,4-cis-dihydrodiols and 1,4-dioxocins

Org Biomol Chem. 2007 Jul 21;5(14):2267-73. doi: 10.1039/b704584k. Epub 2007 Jun 12.

Abstract

cis-2,3-Dihydrodiol metabolites of monosubstituted halobenzenes and toluene have been used as synthetic precursors of the corresponding 3,4-cis-dihydrodiols. Enantiopure syn-benzene dioxide intermediates were reduced to the 3,4-cis-dihydrodiols and thermally racemised via the corresponding 1,4-dioxocins. The syn-benzene dioxide-1,4-dioxocin valence tautomeric equilibrium ratio was found to be dependent on the substituent position. The methodology has also been applied to the synthesis of both enantiomers of the 1,2-(ipso)- and 3,4-cis-dihydrodiols of toluene. This chemoenzymatic approach thus makes available, for the first time, all three possible cis-dihydrodiol regioisomers of a monosubstituted benzene.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Benzene Derivatives / chemistry*
  • Benzene Derivatives / metabolism*
  • Hydroxylation
  • Naphthalenes / chemical synthesis
  • Naphthalenes / chemistry*
  • Stereoisomerism

Substances

  • Benzene Derivatives
  • Naphthalenes
  • trans-1,2-dihydro-1,2-naphthalenediol