ChemInform Abstract: THE PHOTOSENSITIZED OXYGENATION OF FURANOEREMOPHILANES. II. THE PREPARATION AND STEREOCHEMISTRY OF THE ISOMERIC HYDROPEROXIDES AND THE CORRESPONDING LACTONES FROM FURANOFUKININ AND FURANOEREMOPHILANE

The dye-sensitized oxygenation of furanofukinin, and furanoeremophilane, in methanol gave, quantitatively, crystalline mixtures of two isomeric hydroperoxides each consisting of a pair of 8α-methoxy-12β-hydroperoxy and 8β-methoxy-12α-hydroperoxy derivatives respectively. The hydroperoxides were readily transformed to the corresponding lactones with acetic anhydride-pyridine through dehydration. The stereochemistry of the hydroperoxides and the corresponding lactones has been elucidated by spectral and chemical methods according to a previously outlined generalization. Further, furanofukinin, furanoeremophilane, and 8β-hydroxyeremophilenolide, have been synthesized from petasalbin, fukinone, and an epimeric mixture of 8α- and 8β-methoxy lactones, respectively.