Chiral decalins: preparation from oleanolic acid and application in the synthesis of (-)-9-epi-ambrox.

A novel and versatile process was developed to prepare the trans-decalins Delta9(11)-3beta-acetoxysclareolide (2) and Delta9(11)-3beta-acetoxy-8-epi-sclareolide (3), respectively, with 4a-methoxycarbonyl-2,7,7-trimethyl-1-oxo-cis-decalin-2-ene (4) and its C-3 hydroxyl derivative 5 from oleanolic acid (3beta-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid, 1). Three key steps were (a) introduction of the AcO-12 group and the C-9,C-11 double bond at ring C of methyl 3beta-acetoxyolean-12-en-28-oate (8) to afford the diene, methyl 3,12-diacetoxyolean-9(11),12-dien-28-oate (11); (b) photolytic cleavage of the C-8,C-14 bond in the diene to give an acetoxy-substituted triene 14; and (c) oxidative cleavage of the triene or its hydrolyzed alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone product with m-CPBA/TsOH to give the cis- and trans-decalins 2-5. Delata9(11)-3beta-Acetoxysclareolide (2) was stereospecifically reduced to give 3beta-acetoxy-9-epi-sclareolide (23), from which (-)-9-epi-ambrox (7) was synthesized.