IChO 2019 · Theory problem 8

Identification and synthesis of inositols

In this problem, we define “3D structure” and “perspective formula” as indicated for β-glucose in the following figure.

Figure 1

Inositols are cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexols. Some of these 6-membered carbocycles, in particular myo-inositol, are involved in a number of biological processes.

Structure of myo-inositol

8.1 Draw the structural formula of inositols, without stereochemical details.

This family of molecules contains 9 different stereoisomers, including enantiomers.

8.2 Draw all 3D structures of the stereoisomers that are optically active.

The structure of a specific inositol, called myo-inositol, is studied here. Only one of its chair conformers is predominant and its structure can be deduced from its \({}^{1}\mathrm{H}\) NMR spectrum. The spectrum below (next page) was obtained at 600 MHz in \(\ce{D2O}\). No other signal from that compound was observed in the spectrum. The integration is indicated on the spectrum below each signal.

8.3 Give the molecular formula of the predominant compound derived from myo-inositol in this sample that is consistent with the number of protons observed in the \({}^{1}\mathrm{H}\) NMR spectrum.

Figure 2

8.4 Based on the number and integrations of the proton signals, give the number of symmetry plane(s) that exist(s) in this molecule.

8.5 Complete the following perspective drawing of the most stable conformation of myo-inositol. Then label each hydrogen with the corresponding letter (a, b, c or d) according to the NMR spectrum above. Proton a must be on carbon a on the following representation. Draw its 3D structure.

Synthesis of inositols

For medicinal applications, it is useful to synthesize some inositol phosphates on a large scale. We will study the synthesis of inositol 2 from bromodiol 1.

Figure 3

8.6 Choose the correct structural relationship(s) between 2 and 3. Tick relevant boxes.

  • ☐ enantiomers
  • ☐ epimers
  • ☐ diastereomers
  • ☐ atropoisomers

Inositol 2 can be obtained from compound 1 in 7 steps.

Figure 4

8.7 Draw the 3D structure of 4.

8.8 The reaction leading to 5 occurs on the double bond with the highest electron density. Consider the structure of 1-bromo-1,3-cyclo hexadiene below which is a substructure of 4. Circle the double bond with the highest electron density. Represent all the electronic effects due to the bromine.

8.9 Draw the 3D structure of the major diastereoisomer 5.

8.10 Give the total number of stereoisomers of 5 possibly obtained by this synthesis starting from enantiopure compound 1.

8.11 For the step 5 → 6, another product with the same molecular formula, denoted 6′, can be produced. Draw the 3D structures of 6 and 6′.

8.12 Draw the 3D structures of major diastereomers 8 and 9.

8.13 Select the right set(s) of conditions A to obtain 2. Tick relevant boxes.

  • ☐ \(\ce{H2}\), \(\ce{Pd/C}\)
  • ☐ \(\ce{K2CO3}\), \(\ce{HF}\)
  • ☐ \(\ce{HCOOH}\), \(\ce{H2O}\)
  • ☐ \(\ce{BF3.OEt2}\)

8.14 If the bromine is not present in compound 1, in addition to 2, another stereoisomer would be obtained. Considering that stereoselectivity of the reactions that take place in the synthesis remains unchanged and that the following steps involve the same number of equivalents as for 2, draw the 3D structure of this stereoisomer and give its relationship with 2 (tick relevant boxes).

  • ☐ enantiomers
  • ☐ epimers
  • ☐ diastereoisomers
  • ☐ atropoisomers

8.15 During the synthesis of 2 from 1 choose the removal step(s) of protecting or directing groups.

☐ 1 → 4 ☐ 7 → 8
☐ 4 → 5 ☐ 8 → 9
☐ 5 → 6 ☐ 9 → 2
☐ 6 → 7

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

For precise drawing descriptions, number a hexagon clockwise from its top vertex: C1 at the top, C2 upper right, C3 lower right, C4 bottom, C5 lower left, and C6 upper left. This is working numbering, used consistently below.

A \(+\) denotes a solid wedge towards the reader; a \(-\) denotes a hatched wedge away. A six-sign sequence gives the directions of the carbon–oxygen bonds at C1–C6. At each saturated ring carbon, its hydrogen is on the opposite face.

  • 8.1 Inositol, cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol: a six-membered carbon ring bearing one hydroxy group on every carbon.
    SMILES without stereochemistry: OC1C(O)C(O)C(O)C(O)C1O.

  • 8.2 Only the two chiro-inositol enantiomers, the D/L pair, are optically active. Two mirror-image drawings are:

Chiro-inositol enantiomer I, also compound 2: \((-,+,+,-,+,-)\).
O[C@@H]1[C@@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@@H]1O

Chiro-inositol enantiomer II, its mirror image: \((+,-,-,+,-,+)\).
O[C@H]1[C@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@H]1O

  • 8.3 Hydroxy-deuterated myo-inositol, with molecular formula
    \[ \boxed{\ce{C6H6D6O6}}. \] Its six hydroxy groups are predominantly \(\ce{OD}\).
    SMILES: [2H]O[C@@H]1[C@@H](O[2H])[C@H](O[2H])[C@H](O[2H])[C@H](O[2H])[C@H]1O[2H].

  • 8.4 One symmetry plane.

  • 8.5 Myo-inositol has five equatorial hydroxy groups and one axial hydroxy group in its predominant chair. Hydrogen d is equatorial; the other five ring hydrogens are axial. Starting at the specified carbon a, the hydrogen labels around the ring are \[ \boxed{a,\ c,\ b,\ d,\ b,\ c}. \] A corresponding hexagonal drawing has hydroxy directions \((-,+,-,-,-,+)\).
    SMILES: O[C@@H]1[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@H]1O.

  • 8.6 Tick epimers and diastereomers.

  • 8.7 Bromodiol acetonide 4: connect the two original oxygen atoms at C2 and C3 through a common \(\ce{C(CH3)2}\) group. Both ring carbon–oxygen bonds remain solid wedges. Retain bromine at C1 and double bonds C1=C6 and C4=C5.
    SMILES: BrC1[C@@H](O2)[C@@H](OC2(C)C)C=CC=1.

  • 8.8 Circle C4=C5, the double bond that does not bear bromine. Bromine exerts a negative inductive effect, \(-I\), and a positive mesomeric effect, \(+M\).

  • 8.9 Epoxide 5: epoxidize C4=C5, placing both epoxide carbon–oxygen bonds on the hatched face, opposite the acetonide.
    SMILES: BrC1[C@@H](O2)[C@@H](OC2(C)C)[C@H]3[C@H](O3)C=1.

  • 8.10 \(\boxed{2}\) stereoisomers: two diastereomers.

  • 8.11 The two regioisomeric benzyl-alcohol opening products are:

6: C4 bears hatched \(\ce{OH}\); C5 bears solid-wedge \(\ce{OBn}\).
BrC1[C@@H](O2)[C@@H](OC2(C)C)[C@H](O)[C@@H](OCc2ccccc2)C=1

6′: C4 bears solid-wedge \(\ce{OBn}\); C5 bears hatched \(\ce{OH}\).
BrC1[C@@H](O2)[C@@H](OC2(C)C)[C@@H](OCc2ccccc2)[C@H](O)C=1

Both retain the original acetonide and the brominated C1=C6 double bond.

  • 8.12 Protected chiro-inositol 8: add hatched hydroxy groups at both C1 and C6 of 7, retaining its acetonide and benzyl ether.
    O[C@@H]1[C@@H](O2)[C@@H](OC2(C)C)[C@H](O)[C@@H](OCc2ccccc2)[C@@H]1O

Monobenzyl-protected chiro-inositol 9: hydrolyse the acetonide of 8, exposing solid-wedge hydroxy groups at C2 and C3. Retain the C5 benzyl ether.
O[C@@H]1[C@@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@@H](OCc2ccccc2)[C@@H]1O

  • 8.13 Tick \(\ce{H2}\), \(\ce{Pd/C}\) only.

  • 8.14 The additional product is the enantiomer of 2, or ent-2. In the original ring orientation, its hydroxy directions are \((-,+,+,-,-,+)\).
    SMILES: O[C@@H]1[C@@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@H]1O.
    Tick enantiomers only.

  • 8.15 Tick \[ \boxed{\mathbf{6\rightarrow7,\qquad8\rightarrow9,\qquad9\rightarrow2}}. \]

Solution

8.1 — Inositol connectivity

Cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol consists of six \(\ce{CH(OH)}\) units joined into a ring. Thus, draw a hexagon with a hydroxy group attached by an ordinary single bond at every vertex, without wedges or hatches.

The molecular formula is \(\ce{C6H12O6}\). Its constitution is represented by the non-stereochemical SMILES given in 8.1.

8.2 — Optically active stereoisomers

The nine configurational stereoisomers comprise seven achiral forms and one enantiomeric pair: D- and L-chiro-inositol.

This can be checked directly by assigning each hydroxy group one of the two ring faces. Rotating the hexagon cyclically preserves the sequence of face signs. Turning the hexagon over reverses their order and changes every sign. A mirror image changes every sign without reversing their order.

Classifying the face patterns under the proper rotations gives nine distinct configurations. Seven are equivalent to their own mirror images; the two chiro configurations are not.

The pair specified in the Answers, \[ (-,+,+,-,+,-) \quad\text{and}\quad (+,-,-,+,-,+), \] therefore gives the required two drawings. Every wedge becomes a hatch in the mirror image. Their configurations are encoded in the two stereochemical SMILES; a particular chair conformation is not encoded by SMILES.

8.3 — Exchange of hydroxy hydrogens

Each inositol molecule contains six carbon-bound hydrogens and six hydroxy hydrogens. In heavy water, the hydroxy hydrogens exchange with deuterium:

\[ \ce{C6H12O6 + 6D2O <=> C6H6D6O6 + 6HDO}. \]

Heavy water is deuterium oxide, [2H]O[2H]; monodeuterated water is [2H]O.

The six carbon-bound hydrogens remain observable by \({}^{1}\mathrm{H}\) NMR. The six deuteriums of the \(\ce{OD}\) groups do not contribute to that spectrum. Consequently, the predominant isotopologue is

\[ \boxed{\ce{C6H6D6O6}}. \]

8.4 — Molecular symmetry

The four resonances represent proton populations

\[ 1:2:2:1. \]

Thus, two ring hydrogens are individually unique, while the other four form two equivalent pairs.

A mirror plane passing through the carbons bearing a and d leaves those two hydrogens individually unchanged and exchanges the two b hydrogens and the two c hydrogens. The predominant chair therefore has one mirror plane.

In the working numbering, this plane passes through C1 and C4 and interchanges C2 with C6 and C3 with C5.

8.5 — NMR assignment and predominant chair

At a spectrometer frequency of 600 MHz,

\[ J\;(\mathrm{Hz}) = 600\;(\mathrm{Hz\,ppm^{-1}}) \times \Delta\delta\;(\mathrm{ppm}). \]

For example, the separation between adjacent lines of signal d gives

\[ J_d=600(4.054-4.049)=3.0\ \mathrm{Hz}. \]

For signal c,

\[ J_c\approx600(3.626-3.610)=9.6\ \mathrm{Hz}. \]

For the doublet of doublets b, the two apparent couplings are

\[ J_{\mathrm{small}}=600(3.533-3.528)=3.0\ \mathrm{Hz}, \]

\[ J_{\mathrm{large}}=600(3.533-3.516)=10.2\ \mathrm{Hz}. \]

The spectrum can therefore be summarized as follows. The values are apparent splittings read from the rounded peak labels.

Signal Approximate \(\delta\) / ppm Number of hydrogens Appearance Coupling information
a 3.265 1 Triplet Two large couplings, approximately \(9\)–\(10\ \mathrm{Hz}\)
b 3.522 2 Doublet of doublets One large coupling, approximately \(10.2\ \mathrm{Hz}\), and one small coupling, \(3.0\ \mathrm{Hz}\)
c 3.610 2 Apparent triplet Two similar large couplings, approximately \(9.6\ \mathrm{Hz}\)
d 4.049 1 Triplet Two small couplings, \(3.0\ \mathrm{Hz}\)

In a cyclohexane chair, neighbouring axial hydrogens have approximately antiperiplanar geometry and a large vicinal coupling. An axial–equatorial pair gives a much smaller coupling.

Therefore:

  • a is axial and has two axial c neighbours.
  • Each c is axial, between axial a and axial b.
  • Each b is axial, between axial c and equatorial d.
  • d is equatorial and has two equivalent axial b neighbours.

The ring sequence is consequently

\[ \boxed{a-c-b-d-b-c}. \]

To fill the missing chair template, designate its required carbon a as C1 and follow this sequence around the ring. One precise chair description is:

Carbon Hydrogen label Hydrogen orientation Hydroxy orientation
C1 a Axial, up Equatorial, down
C2 c Axial, down Equatorial, up
C3 b Axial, up Equatorial, down
C4 d Equatorial, up Axial, down
C5 b Axial, up Equatorial, down
C6 c Axial, down Equatorial, up

The corresponding hexagonal wedge-and-hatch drawing has hydroxy directions

\[ (-,+,-,-,-,+). \]

This chair has only one axial hydroxy group. Ring inversion would produce five axial hydroxy groups, increasing unfavourable axial interactions, so the depicted chair predominates.

8.6 — Relationship between 2 and 3

Compound 2 is the chiro-inositol enantiomer specified in 8.2.

Compound 3, its C6 epimer, is a stereoisomer of cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol with SMILES
O[C@@H]1[C@@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@H]1O.

Their hydroxy configurations are

\[ \begin{aligned} \mathbf{2}:&\quad(-,+,+,-,+,-),\\ \mathbf{3}:&\quad(-,+,+,-,+,+). \end{aligned} \]

Only C6 changes configuration. They are therefore epimers, and hence also diastereomers. They are neither mirror images nor atropisomers.

8.7 — Formation of acetonide 4

Starting material 1 is the depicted enantiomer of cis-3-bromocyclohexa-3,5-diene-1,2-diol:
BrC1[C@@H](O)[C@@H](O)C=CC=1.

Acetone, or propan-2-one, CC(=O)C, reacts with the cis diol under catalysis by p-toluenesulfonic acid, Cc1ccc(S(=O)(=O)O)cc1.

The two diol oxygen atoms become connected through the carbon originally belonging to the acetone carbonyl group. The resulting bridge is

\[ \ce{O-C(CH3)2-O}. \]

This forms a five-membered cyclic acetal, commonly called an acetonide. The original ring carbon–oxygen bonds are retained, so both remain solid wedges.

The balanced net reaction is

\[ \ce{C6H7BrO2 + C3H6O <=> C9H11BrO2 + H2O}. \]

Water has SMILES O. Compound 4 has formula \(\ce{C9H11BrO2}\), and its complete stereochemical SMILES is given in the Answers.

8.8 — Bromine’s electronic effects

The model substructure is 1-bromocyclohexa-1,3-diene, BrC1=CC=CCC1. In the working numbering, its conjugated chain runs

\[ \mathrm{C1=C6-C5=C4}. \]

Bromine has two relevant electronic effects:

  1. Negative inductive effect, \(-I\). It withdraws electron density through the carbon–bromine sigma bond. Draw the bond-polarization arrow towards bromine. This withdrawal is strongest near the brominated double bond.

  2. Positive mesomeric effect, \(+M\). A bromine lone pair can donate into the conjugated system.

For the resonance arrows, draw a curved arrow from a bromine lone pair into the Br–C1 bond and move the C1=C6 π electrons onto C6. The resulting negative charge can then be delocalized: move the C6 lone pair into the C6–C5 bond and move the C5=C4 π electrons onto C4.

Omitting the rest of the ring, these contributors are

\[ \ce{Br-C=C-C=C <-> Br+=C-C^{-}-C=C <-> Br+=C-C=C-C^{-}}. \]

The corresponding charge-separated contributors of the model molecule can be encoded as [Br+]=C1[CH-]C=CCC1 and [Br+]=C1C=C[CH-]CC1. These are resonance contributors, not separate reaction products.

The double bond directly bearing bromine is more strongly depleted by its inductive effect. The more electron-rich double bond, and hence the one to circle, is

\[ \boxed{\mathrm{C4=C5}}. \]

8.9 — Formation and configuration of epoxide 5

The reagent is m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid, or m-CPBA, OOC(=O)c1cccc(Cl)c1.

Peracid epoxidation transfers one oxygen atom to both carbons of an alkene in a concerted reaction. Thus, the two new carbon–oxygen bonds form on the same face.

The acetonide occupies the solid-wedge face. Attack at C4=C5 from the less hindered opposite face gives the major epoxide 5, with both epoxide carbon–oxygen bonds hatched. The original configurations at C2 and C3 are unchanged.

The balanced reaction is

\[ \ce{C9H11BrO2 + C7H5ClO3 -> C9H11BrO3 + C7H5ClO2}. \]

The byproduct is m-chlorobenzoic acid, O=C(O)c1cccc(Cl)c1. The solvent, dichloromethane, is ClCCl.

8.10 — Number of possible stereoisomers of 5

Epoxidation can occur from either face of the selected double bond.

The original stereocentres of enantiopure 1 remain fixed, so the two products differ only in the face occupied by the epoxide. They are diastereomers.

The epoxide’s two new centres are formed together with a fixed relative configuration; their configurations cannot be selected independently. Thus,

\[ \boxed{N=2}. \]

The minor epoxide, with both epoxide bonds on the solid-wedge face, has SMILES
BrC1[C@@H](O2)[C@@H](OC2(C)C)[C@@H]3[C@@H](O3)C=1.

8.11 — Epoxide opening to 6 and 6′

Benzyl alcohol, OCc1ccccc1, opens the Lewis-acid-activated epoxide.

Boron trifluoride diethyl etherate can be represented by its components as FB(F)F.CCOCC; in the actual adduct, the ether oxygen coordinates to boron. The disconnected SMILES does not encode that coordination bond.

Backside attack breaks the epoxide carbon–oxygen bond at the attacked carbon. The incoming benzyloxy group and the retained hydroxy group are consequently anti.

For 6:

  • Benzyl alcohol attacks C5.
  • C5 changes from a hatched epoxide bond to a solid-wedge benzyloxy bond.
  • The oxygen at C4 remains on the hatched face and becomes a hydroxy group.

For 6′:

  • Benzyl alcohol attacks C4.
  • C4 acquires a solid-wedge benzyloxy group.
  • C5 retains the hatched oxygen, which becomes a hydroxy group.

Both products satisfy the given molecular formula:

\[ \ce{C9H11BrO3 + C7H8O -> C16H19BrO4}. \]

The displayed structure of 7 identifies 6 as the product having benzyloxy at C5 and hydroxy at C4.

The subsequent radical reaction replaces bromine by hydrogen without changing these stereocentres. Protected cyclohexenetetrol 7 has SMILES
C1[C@@H](O2)[C@@H](OC2(C)C)[C@H](O)[C@@H](OCc2ccccc2)C=1.

The balanced debromination is

\[ \ce{C16H19BrO4 + (C4H9)3SnH -> C16H20O4 + (C4H9)3SnBr}. \]

Here the butyl groups are normal butyl groups. Tri-n-butyltin hydride is [SnH](CCCC)(CCCC)CCCC; tri-n-butyltin bromide is Br[Sn](CCCC)(CCCC)CCCC.

The radical initiator AIBN, 2,2′-azobis(2-methylpropanenitrile), is CC(C)(C#N)N=NC(C)(C)C#N. The solvent tetrahydrofuran is C1CCOC1.

8.12 — Dihydroxylation and acetonide removal

Formation of 8. Osmium tetroxide, O=[Os](=O)(=O)=O, adds to the remaining C1=C6 double bond by syn dihydroxylation.

The less hindered face is opposite the solid-wedge acetonide and benzyloxy substituents. Both new hydroxy groups therefore occupy the hatched face, at C1 and C6. The pre-existing configurations remain unchanged.

The reoxidant is N-methylmorpholine N-oxide, or NMO, C[N+]1([O-])CCOCC1. Its reduced product is N-methylmorpholine, CN1CCOCC1.

A balanced net equation for the catalytic oxidation is

\[ \ce{C16H20O4 + C5H11NO2 + H2O ->[OsO4] C16H22O6 + C5H11NO}. \]

Thus 8 is the benzyl/acetonide-protected chiro-inositol specified in the Answers.

Formation of 9. Aqueous acid hydrolyses the acetonide, regenerating the C2 and C3 hydroxy groups and releasing acetone. The original ring carbon–oxygen bonds are retained, so those hydroxy groups remain solid wedges.

\[ \ce{C16H22O6 + H2O -> C13H18O6 + C3H6O}. \]

The benzyl ether survives this treatment. Therefore, 9 is the C5 monobenzyl ether of 2, with all six ring configurations already those required in the final product.

8.13 — Conditions for benzyl-ether removal

Hydrogen, [H][H], with palladium on carbon cleaves the benzyl ether by hydrogenolysis:

\[ \ce{C13H18O6 + H2 ->[Pd/C] C6H12O6 + C7H8}. \]

The organic byproduct is toluene, Cc1ccccc1.

Cleavage occurs at the benzyl–oxygen bond; the bond between the inositol carbon and oxygen remains intact. Consequently, the configuration at C5 is retained.

The correct choice is therefore

\[ \boxed{\ce{H2},\ \ce{Pd/C}}. \]

The other listed conditions do not provide the required benzyl-ether hydrogenolysis.

8.14 — Product obtained without bromine

Without bromine, the starting cis diol becomes an achiral, symmetry-related diene, represented by
C1[C@@H](O)[C@@H](O)C=CC=1.

The two double bonds are enantiotopic. The same face preference in epoxidation can therefore lead through either of two mirror-related reaction sequences.

One sequence epoxidizes C4=C5 and gives 2. In the other:

  1. C1=C6 is epoxidized on the hatched face.
  2. Corresponding epoxide opening gives hatched hydroxy at C1 and solid-wedge benzyloxy at C6.
  3. Syn dihydroxylation gives hatched hydroxy groups at C4 and C5.
  4. Deprotection exposes all six hydroxy groups.

The final face sequence in the original orientation is

\[ (-,+,+,-,-,+). \]

This is the mirror image of 2 after a rotation of the drawing. Its stereochemical SMILES is given in 8.14.

Although two positions appear different when the original atom labels are kept fixed, the correct whole-molecule relationship is enantiomerism, not epimerism. Tick enantiomers only.

8.15 — Removal of protecting or directing groups

Step Group removed Function in the synthesis
6 → 7 Bromine Temporarily differentiates the two double bonds electronically
8 → 9 Acetonide Protects the original cis diol
9 → 2 Benzyl group Protects the hydroxy group introduced through epoxide opening

Thus the required removal steps are

\[ \boxed{\mathbf{6\rightarrow7,\quad8\rightarrow9,\quad9\rightarrow2}}. \]

The answers were checked against the official answers published by the organisers.