TY - JOUR A1 - Krüger, Tobias A1 - Bramborg, Andrea A1 - Kelling, Alexandra A1 - Sperlich, Eric A1 - Linker, Torsten T1 - Birch Reduction of Arenes as an Easy Entry to γ-Spirolactones JF - European journal of organic chemistry N2 - A convenient method for the synthesis of γ-spirolactones in only 2–3 steps is described. Birch reduction of inexpensive and commercially available aromatic carboxylic acids in the presence of ethylene oxide affords hydroxy acids, which undergo direct lactonization during work-up. Suitable precursors are methyl-substituted benzoic acids, naphthoic, and dicarboxylic acids. Subsequent hydrogenation proceeds smoothly with Pd/C as catalyst and saturated γ-spirolactones are isolated in excellent yields and stereoselectivities. Thus, up to 3 new stereogenic centers can be constructed as sole diastereomers from achiral benzoic acids. Furthermore, it is possible to control the degree of saturation with Raney nickel or Wilkinson's catalyst to obtain products with 1 double bond. Overall, more than 30 new γ-spirolactones have been synthesized in analytically pure form. KW - Arenes KW - Birch reduction KW - Hydrogenation KW - Lactones KW - Synthetic methods Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ejoc.202101018 SN - 1434-193X SN - 1099-0690 VL - 2021 IS - 46 SP - 6383 EP - 6391 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schmidt, Bernd A1 - Staude, Lucia A1 - Kelling, Alexandra A1 - Schilde, Uwe T1 - A Cross-Metathesis-Conjugate addition route to enantiopure gamma-Butyrolactams and gamma-Lactones from a C-2-Symmetric Precursor JF - European journal of organic chemistry N2 - A protected derivative of (3R, 4R)-hexa-1,5-diene-3,4-diol, a conveniently accessible C-2-symmetric building block, undergoes single or double cross metathesis with methyl acryl-ate. The cross metathesis products are amenable to stereoselective conjugate addition reactions and can be converted into either gamma-butyrolactones or gamma-lactams. KW - Lactams KW - Lactones KW - Oxygen heterocycles KW - Metathesis KW - Desymmetrization Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ejoc.201001528 SN - 1434-193X IS - 9 SP - 1721 EP - 1727 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Malden ER -