Tetrahedron letters

Bis-esters from maleic anhydrides under neutral conditions: Protection of the anhydride of the natural product cornexistin

SC Fields, WH Dent, FR Green, EG Tromiczak

Index: Fields, Stephen C.; Dent III, William H.; Green III, F. Richard; Tromiczak, Eric G. Tetrahedron Letters, 1996 , vol. 37, # 12 p. 1967 - 1970

Full Text: HTML

Citation Number: 11

Abstract

Trimethylsilyldiazomethane converts maleic anhydride derivatives in alcoholic THF to bisesters. The highly acid and base sensitive natural product cornexistin was converted to its bis-methyl ester in 70–75% yield and to the mixed benzyl/methyl ester in 61% yield. The mixed ester can be converted back to cornexistin via transfer hydrogenation.