Stereocontrolled Syntheses of (−)-Cubebol and (−)-10-Epicubebol Involving Intramolecular Cyclopropanation of α-Lithiated Epoxides

Formylation of (−)-menthone (11) with LDA and HCO2CH2CF3 avoids loss of configurational integrity at the isopropyl group, giving hydroxymethylenementhone 12. Lithium 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide-induced intramolecular cyclopropanation of derived unsaturated terminal epoxide 17 (and chlorohydrin 16), efficiently generates a substituted tricyclo[4.4.0.01,5]decan-4-ol 18, which is used in a concise synthesis of (−)-cubebol (1). In contrast, isopropyl group inversion during formylation of menthone with NaOMe and HCO2Et led, by a similar strategy, to syntheses of 7-epicubebol (33) and (from (+)-menthone) of naturally occurring (−)-10-epicubebol (39), confirming the original structural assignment. Computational studies support the origin of the inversion as being rate-determining formylation of cis-enolate 27 from a mixture of rapidly interconverting enolates. In the synthesis of 7-epicubebol (33), allylic tertiary C−H insertion is observed as a significant competing reaction in the intramolecular cyclopropanation of unsaturated terminal epoxide 22.