Deoxygenative [1,2]-hydride shift rearrangements in nucleoside and sugar chemistry: analogy with the [1,2]-electron shift in the deoxygenation of ribonucleotides by ribonucleotide reductases.

TLDR: A variant of the semipinacol rearrangement that was observed in the laboratory has been applied to the synthesis of several furanose and pyranose derivatives in good yields and demonstrated the absence of remote hydroxyl-group participation.

Abstract: A variant of the semipinacol rearrangement that was observed in our laboratory has been applied to the synthesis of several furanose and pyranose derivatives. The process consists of an "orchestrated" [1,2]-hydride shift with departure of a leaving group from the opposite face. Transient formation of a C=O group is followed by rapid transfer of a hydride-equivalent from the same face from which the leaving group departed, which results in double inversion of stereochemistry at the two vicinal carbon atoms. Treatment of 2'-O- and 3'-O-tosyladenosine with lithium triethylborohydride in DMSO/THF gave the respective 2'- and 3'-deoxynucleoside analogues with beta-D-threo configurations. Identical treatment of 5'-O-TPS-2'-O-tosyladenosine gave 9-(5-O-TPS-2-deoxy-beta-D-threo-pentofuranosyl)adenine. The same [1,2]-hydride shift and stereochemistry with the 5'-OH and 5'-O-TPS compounds demonstrated the absence of remote hydroxyl-group participation. Application of this process to other nucleoside 2'-O-tosyl derivatives gave the 2'-deoxy-threo compounds in good yields. The reaction-rate order was OTs approximately Br >> Cl for 2'-O-tosyladenosine, 2'-bromo-2'-deoxyadenosine, and 2'-chloro-2'-deoxyadenosine (all with beta-d-ribo configurations). Analogous results were obtained with mannopyranoside derivatives with either 4,6-O-benzylidene protection or a free OH group at C4. Deuterium labeling clearly defined the stereochemical course as a cis-vicinal [1,2]-hydride shift on the face opposite to the original cis OH and OTs groups followed by hydride transfer from the face opposite to the [1,2]-hydride shift. Synthetic and mechanistic considerations are discussed.