Synthesis of constrained raloxifene analogues by complementary use of Friedel-Crafts and directed remote metalation reactions.

New constrained heterocyclic analogues, 2a,b and 3, of Raloxifene (1) have been prepared by complementary Directed remote Metalation (DreM)/Friedel-Crafts cyclization approaches. Utilization of a benzylidene-thiolactone rearrangement was successfully implemented to construct benzothiophenes 13a-c in good yields. Selective deprotection of 13a and 13b induced by complexation followed by triflation gave 18 and 23, thereby allowing efficient Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling with borolane 16 to give biaryls 19 and 24. Treatment of 19 with BCl(3) induced an intramolecular para Fridel-Crafts cyclization and concomitant double deprotection to furnish analogue 2a, a new 5,6,6,6-(C(4)S-C(6)-C(6)-C(6)) sulfur-containing heterocycle. Exposure of 25 with excess LDA induced a DreM cyclization delivering the ortho-substituted 5,6,6,6-(C(4)S-C(6)-C(6)-C(6)) heterocylic analogue 26 in 70% yield. Similar treatment of 13c and 27 afforded 30, representing the novel 5,5,6,6-(C(4)S-C(5)-C(6)-C(6)) ring system, which was subjected to Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling with 16 to give the biaryl 31 in 93% yield; deprotection furnished the final constrained analogue 3.