Synthesis of Enantioenriched Tertiary Boronic Esters from Secondary Allylic Carbamates. Application to the Synthesis of C30 Botryococcene

Enantioenriched secondary allylic carbamates have been deprotonated with sBuLi and reacted with boronic esters. In contrast to other electrophiles, high alpha-selectivity was observed and the boronate complexes were formed with almost complete retention of stereochemistry. The boronate complexes underwent a stereospecific 1,2-migration leading to tertiary allylic boronic esters with high er (>98:2). The scope of the reaction has been explored and found to embrace a broad range of both allylic carbamates and boronic esters. The methodology has been applied to an eight-step, stereoselective synthesis of each of the diastereoisomers of C30 botryococcene.