Development of a New Building Block for the Synthesis of Silicon-Based Drugs and Odorants: Alternative Synthesis of the Retinoid Agonist Disila-bexarotene

With 4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-2-(3,5,5,8,8-pentamethyl-5,8-disila-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-naphthyl)-1,3,2-dioxaborolane (5) a new building block for the synthesis of biologically active 5,8-disila-5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthalene derivatives has been made available. The high synthetic potential of 5 has been demonstrated by the development of a new synthesis of the retinoid agonist disila-bexarotene (1).