Enantioselective synthesis of (-)-(1R,2R)-1,2-dihydrochrysene-1,2-diol

A general chiral building block containing the 1R,2R-trans-diol moiety was constructed utilizing the stereoselective Shi-epoxidation reaction on a tetralone scaffold assembled by a Negishi cross-coupling on N,N-diethylbenzamide. Further elaboration of this chiral building block into polycyclic aromatic compounds was demonstrated with the total synthesis of the precursor for the most carcinogenic metabolite of chrysene, (-)-(1R,2R)-1,2-dihydrochrysene-1,2-diol in 87% ee. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.