Asymmetric and Regiospecific Synthesis of Isotopically Labelled Cyclopropane Fatty Acid (9R,10S)-Dihydrosterculic Acid: Overcoming Spontaneous Protonation During Lithium-Sulfoxide Exchange­

Abstract

Abstract The total synthesis of isotopically labelled (9R,10S)-dihydro­sterculic acid, a usual cyclopropane fatty acid with biologically relevant toxicity upon desaturation in vivo, is reported. A diastereoselective Corey­–Chaykovsky reaction was employed to form the cyclopropane ring. Rapid quenching of a lithium-sulfoxide exchange was required to achieve the requisite high levels of deuterium incorporation.

Keywords

• lithium-sulfoxide exchange
• deuterium labelling
• asymmetric corey–chaykovsky cyclopropanation
• cyclopropane fatty acids
• mechanistic probes
• fatty acid desaturation