IChO 2020 · Theory problem 1

Two Beauties of Turkey: the Van Cat and the Ankara Cat

Figure 1

The most beautiful of cats, the Van cat is a pure breed living only in Lake Van basin. Another endemic cat breed is the Ankara cat. They are called Angora cats. Their most important feature is their two different eye colors.

Figure 2

Van cat

Figure 3

Ankara cat

Figure 4

Nepeta cataria (catnip)

Just like people, cats can sometimes be stressed and angry. Just as people are made happy by melatonin, the stress of cats can be reduced and they can be made happy thanks to a natural product. Nepetalactone is an organic compound isolated from the plant catnip (Nepeta cataria), which acts as a cat attractant. Nepetalactone is a ten-carbon bicyclic mono- terpenoid compound derived from isoprene with two fused rings: a cyclopentane and a lactone.

Figure 5

Cat eCat eating catnip in the garden

Figure 6

Cat's dream

Total synthesis of nepetalactone:

Figure 7

1.1 The above scheme describes the total synthesis of nepetalactone. Draw structures of A–G, without stereochemical details.

Hints:

  • Compound A has strong and sharp band at \(3300\ \mathrm{cm^{-1}}\) in the IR spectrum.
  • A, B, and F are monocyclic, while C, D, E, and G are bicyclic compounds.
  • F has one doublet at ~ \(9.8\ \mathrm{ppm}\) in the \({}^{1}\mathrm{H}\)-NMR spectrum.

Reactions of nepetalactone:

Figure 8

The above scheme includes a few reactions of one of the enantiopure nepetalactone 1 isomers. Three of the reaction products (5, 6, and J) are used as insect repellents in industry.

1.2 For the relationship between 5 and 6, which of the following is/are true? Tick the box next to the correct answer(s) on your answer sheets.

☐ Enantiomers
☐ Diastereomers
☐ Identical
☐ Stereoisomers

Reaction of 1 with DDQ gives highly conjugated compound H. Also, thermal reaction of compound H with p-quinone gives I with molar mass of \(226.28\ \mathrm{g/mol}\).

1.3 Draw the structures of H, I, and J indicating stereochemistry.

Hints:

  • During the formation of I, sequential pericyclic reactions and an oxidation reaction (due to the presence of \(\ce{O2}\)) take place, and a well-known gas forms during the reaction.
  • J has a strong and very broad band between 3300 and \(2500\ \mathrm{cm^{-1}}\) in the IR spectrum.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 1.1

Stereochemistry is intentionally unspecified.

Compound Name SMILES
A Ethyl 1-(but-3-yn-2-yl)-3-methyl-2-oxocyclopentane-1-carboxylate CCOC(=O)C1(C(C)C#C)CCC(C)C1=O
B 2-Methyl-5-(3-oxobutan-2-yl)cyclopentan-1-one CC(=O)C(C)C1CCC(C)C1=O
C 4,8-Dimethylbicyclo[3.3.0]oct-1-en-3-one CC1CCC2C(C)C(=O)C=C12
D 4-Benzylidene-2,6-dimethylbicyclo[3.3.0]octan-3-one CC1CCC2C(C)C(=O)C(=Cc3ccccc3)C12
E 4-Benzylidene-2,6-dimethylbicyclo[3.3.0]octan-3-yl acetate CC1CCC2C(C)C(OC(C)=O)C(=Cc3ccccc3)C12
F 2-(1-Formylethyl)-5-methylcyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid CC1CCC(C(C)C=O)C1C(=O)O
G 4-Hydroxy-5,9-dimethyl-3-oxabicyclo[4.3.0]nonan-2-one CC1CCC2C(C)C(O)OC(=O)C12
  • 1.2

Tick Diastereomers and Stereoisomers. Compounds 5 and 6 are epimers at the side-chain carbon adjacent to the aldehyde group.

  • 1.3
Compound Name Stereochemical SMILES
H (9S)-5,9-Dimethyl-3-oxabicyclo[4.3.0]nona-1(6),4-dien-2-one, the conjugated α-pyrone C[C@H]1CCC2=C1C(=O)OC=C2C
I (3S)-3,7-Dimethyltricyclo[7.4.0.0\(^{2,6}\)]trideca-1(9),2(6),7,11-tetraene-10,13-dione, a cyclopenta-fused 1,4-naphthoquinone C[C@H]1CCc2c1c1C(=O)C=CC(=O)c1cc2C
J (1S,2S,5R)-2-Methyl-5-(propan-2-yl)cyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid C[C@H]1CC[C@H](C(C)C)[C@H]1C(=O)O

In drawings of H and I, retain the dashed methyl bond at the surviving stereocentre of the cyclopentane ring. In J, the carboxyl group and ring methyl group are cis, and the isopropyl group is trans to both.

Solution

The names and SMILES of A–J are given above. Small molecules appearing in the balances include water O, hydrogen [H][H], oxygen O=O, carbon dioxide O=C=O, and ethanol CCO. Spectator ions are omitted where appropriate.

1.1 — Identification of A–G

Formation of A: alkylation of a β-keto ester.

Starting compound 2 is ethyl 3-methyl-2-oxocyclopentane-1-carboxylate, CCOC(=O)C1CCC(C)C1=O.

Ethoxide, CC[O-], removes the proton from the ring carbon between the ketone and ester carbonyl groups. The resulting carbon nucleophile attacks the bromine-bearing carbon of 3-bromobut-1-yne, C#CC(C)Br, displacing bromide, [Br-].

Consequently, that ring carbon acquires a but-3-yn-2-yl substituent:

\[ \ce{C9H14O3 + C4H5Br + C2H5O- -> C13H18O3 + C2H5OH + Br-}. \]

The terminal alkyne remains intact. Its \(\ce{C#C-H}\) stretching vibration accounts for the strong, sharp absorption near \(3300\ \mathrm{cm^{-1}}\). The product is monocyclic, as required.

A → B: alkyne hydration, ester hydrolysis, and decarboxylation.

Mercury(II)-catalyzed hydration of the terminal alkyne gives the Markovnikov enol, which tautomerizes to a methyl ketone. Thus the side chain changes from a but-3-yn-2-yl group to a 3-oxobutan-2-yl group.

Acidic ester hydrolysis gives a β-keto acid, which loses carbon dioxide on heating. The overall balance is

\[ \ce{C13H18O3 + 2H2O -> C10H16O2 + C2H5OH + CO2}. \]

The product B therefore has a cyclopentanone ring with one methyl substituent and one \(\ce{-CH(CH3)COCH3}\) side chain. It remains monocyclic.

B → C: intramolecular aldol condensation.

LDA—lithium diisopropylamide, [Li+].CC(C)[N-]C(C)C—forms the enolate at the terminal methyl group of the side-chain ketone. That enolate carbon attacks the cyclopentanone carbonyl carbon, forming a new five-membered ring.

Dehydration produces the fused α,β-unsaturated ketone C:

\[ \ce{C10H16O2 -> C10H14O + H2O}. \]

For the drawing, place the new double bond between the former cyclopentanone carbonyl carbon, now a ring-junction carbon, and the adjacent carbon derived from the terminal methyl group.

Hydrogenation then gives compound 3, 2,6-dimethylbicyclo[3.3.0]octan-3-one, CC1CCC2C(C)C(=O)CC12:

\[ \ce{C10H14O + H2 -> C10H16O}. \]

3 → D: condensation with benzaldehyde.

The α-methylene carbon of 3 undergoes aldol condensation with benzaldehyde, O=Cc1ccccc1. Loss of water gives the exocyclic benzylidene group in D:

\[ \ce{C10H16O + C7H6O -> C17H20O + H2O}. \]

Thus the double bond is between the original α-methylene carbon and the former aldehyde carbon. The ketone carbonyl remains intact.

D → E: carbonyl reduction and acetylation.

Sodium borohydride reduces the ketone carbonyl while retaining the benzylidene double bond. The intermediate is 4-benzylidene-2,6-dimethylbicyclo[3.3.0]octan-3-ol, CC1CCC2C(C)C(O)C(=Cc3ccccc3)C12.

A balanced representation with aqueous work-up is

\[ \ce{4C17H20O + BH4- + 4H2O -> 4C17H22O + B(OH)4-}. \]

Here borohydride is [BH4-] and tetrahydroxyborate is [B-](O)(O)(O)O.

The alcohol is then acetylated by acetic anhydride, CC(=O)OC(C)=O, giving E and acetic acid, CC(=O)O:

\[ \ce{C17H22O + (CH3CO)2O -> C19H24O2 + CH3COOH}. \]

E → 4: reductive ozonolysis.

Ozonolysis cleaves the exocyclic benzylidene double bond. Its ring carbon becomes a ketone carbonyl, while its phenyl-bearing carbon gives benzaldehyde.

Compound 4 is 2,6-dimethyl-4-oxobicyclo[3.3.0]octan-3-yl acetate, CC1CCC2C(C)C(OC(C)=O)C(=O)C12.

With ozone, [O-][O+]=O, and dimethyl sulfide, CSC, the balanced reaction is

\[ \ce{C19H24O2 + O3 + (CH3)2S -> C12H18O3 + C7H6O + (CH3)2SO}. \]

The sulfur-containing product is dimethyl sulfoxide, CS(C)=O.

4 → F: deacetylation and periodate cleavage.

Hydroxide, [OH-], hydrolyzes the acetate ester:

\[ \ce{C12H18O3 + OH- -> C10H16O2 + CH3COO-}. \]

The products are 3-hydroxy-4,8-dimethylbicyclo[3.3.0]octan-2-one, CC1CCC2C(C)C(O)C(=O)C12, and acetate, CC(=O)[O-].

Periodate then cleaves the bond between the adjacent ketone and alcohol carbons. The ketone carbon becomes a carboxyl carbon; the alcohol carbon, which bears hydrogen, becomes an aldehyde carbon. This opens the second five-membered ring:

\[ \ce{C10H16O2 + IO4- -> C10H16O3 + IO3-}. \]

Periodate is [O-]I(=O)(=O)=O; iodate is [O-]I(=O)=O.

The resulting F is therefore a monocyclic aldehyde–carboxylic acid. Its aldehyde proton couples to the single proton on the adjacent \(\ce{CH(CH3)}\) carbon, explaining the doublet near \(9.8\ \mathrm{ppm}\).

F ⇌ G → 1: ring closure and dehydration.

The carboxyl hydroxyl oxygen of F attacks its aldehyde carbon intramolecularly. Proton transfer gives the six-membered hydroxy-lactone G, without changing the molecular formula:

\[ \underbrace{\ce{C10H16O3}}_{\mathbf F} \rightleftharpoons \underbrace{\ce{C10H16O3}}_{\mathbf G}. \]

For the drawing of G, the newly formed ring contains, in order:

  • the carboxyl-bearing cyclopentane carbon;
  • the ester carbonyl carbon;
  • the ring oxygen;
  • the former aldehyde carbon, now bearing hydroxyl;
  • the methyl-bearing side-chain carbon;
  • the adjacent cyclopentane carbon.

Heating with calcium chloride promotes dehydration between the hydroxyl-bearing carbon and its methyl-bearing neighbour:

\[ \ce{C10H16O3 -> C10H14O2 + H2O}. \]

This gives nepetalactone 1, with unspecified stereochemistry for this part: CC1CCC2C(C)=COC(=O)C12.

The formula and ring-count checks are:

Compound Formula Number of rings
A \(\ce{C13H18O3}\) 1
B \(\ce{C10H16O2}\) 1
C \(\ce{C10H14O}\) 2
D \(\ce{C17H20O}\) 2
E \(\ce{C19H24O2}\) 2
F \(\ce{C10H16O3}\) 1
G \(\ce{C10H16O3}\) 2

1.2 — Relationship between 5 and 6

Hydrolysis opens the enol-lactone ring. The resulting enol tautomerizes to an aldehyde, creating a stereocentre at the side-chain carbon bearing methyl. Either configuration can form there, while the three pre-existing cyclopentane stereocentres retain their spatial configurations.

The neutral overall hydrolysis balance, for either product, is

\[ \ce{C10H14O2 + H2O -> C10H16O3}. \]

The two structures are:

Compound Name Stereochemical SMILES
5 (1S,2R,5S)-2-[(1S)-1-Formylethyl]-5-methylcyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid C[C@H]1CC[C@H]([C@H](C)C=O)[C@H]1C(=O)O
6 (1S,2R,5S)-2-[(1R)-1-Formylethyl]-5-methylcyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid C[C@H]1CC[C@H]([C@@H](C)C=O)[C@H]1C(=O)O

They have identical connectivity and differ at exactly one of four stereocentres. They are therefore epimers, hence diastereomers and stereoisomers. They are neither identical nor enantiomers.

1.3 — Identification and stereochemistry of H, I, and J

The stereochemical starting structure shown in the question is (+)-nepetalactone 1:

C[C@H]1CC[C@@H]2C(C)=COC(=O)[C@@H]12

Formation of H.

DDQ removes the two ring-junction hydrogens, introducing a double bond along the shared edge of the five- and six-membered rings. Together with the existing alkene and lactone carbonyl, this gives the conjugated α-pyrone H.

DDQ is 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone, N#CC1=C(C#N)C(=O)C(Cl)=C(Cl)C1=O. Its reduced product is 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanohydroquinone, N#Cc1c(C#N)c(O)c(Cl)c(Cl)c1O.

The balanced dehydrogenation is

\[ \ce{C10H14O2 + C8Cl2N2O2 -> C10H12O2 + C8H2Cl2N2O2}. \]

Both ring-junction atoms become trigonal and cease to be stereocentres. The methyl-bearing cyclopentane stereocentre retains its \(S\) configuration.

Thus H is:

C[C@H]1CCC2=C1C(=O)OC=C2C

Formation of I.

The other reactant is 1,4-benzoquinone, O=C1C=CC(=O)C=C1.

The sequence is:

  1. Diels–Alder cycloaddition. The four-carbon conjugated diene of the α-pyrone reacts with one double bond of benzoquinone.
  2. Retro-Diels–Alder fragmentation. The bridged lactone unit is expelled as carbon dioxide, O=C=O. Its carbon atom is the original lactone carbonyl carbon, and its oxygen atoms are both original lactone oxygens.
  3. Oxidative aromatization. Oxygen removes two hydrogen atoms from the newly formed six-membered ring, giving the fused aromatic ring of I.

The overall balanced equation is

\[ \ce{2C10H12O2 + 2C6H4O2 + O2 -> 2C15H14O2 + 2CO2 + 2H2O}. \]

The formula can also be followed directly:

\[ \ce{C10H12O2 + C6H4O2} \quad\xrightarrow{-\ce{CO2},\,-2\ce{H}}\quad \ce{C15H14O2}. \]

Using conventional atomic molar masses,

\[ \begin{aligned} M(\mathbf I) &=15(12.011)+14(1.008)+2(15.999)\\ &=226.275\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\\ &\approx \boxed{226.28\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}}, \end{aligned} \]

matching the given value.

For the drawing, retain the cyclopentane ring and its stereogenic methyl-bearing carbon. The four diene carbons of H and the two reacting alkene carbons of benzoquinone form the new aromatic ring. The two quinone carbonyl groups and its other alkene remain intact.

The precise structure is:

C[C@H]1CCc2c1c1C(=O)C=CC(=O)c1cc2C

The original \(S\) stereocentre survives; the transient stereocentres introduced during cycloaddition disappear during fragmentation and aromatization.

Formation of J.

The first hydrogenation saturates the enol-lactone double bond:

\[ \ce{C10H14O2 + H2 -> C10H16O2}. \]

The intermediate is dihydronepetalactone:

C[C@H]1CC[C@@H]2C(C)COC(=O)[C@@H]12

The newly created methyl-bearing stereocentre is left unspecified here because its configuration does not affect the final product.

Acid-promoted opening and the final hydrogenolysis cleave the lactone’s alkyl carbon–oxygen linkage overall. The ester carbonyl becomes a carboxyl group, and the terminal oxygen-bearing carbon becomes a methyl group. Consequently, the side chain becomes isopropyl.

The combined balance for these last operations is

\[ \ce{C10H16O2 + H2 -> C10H18O2}, \]

and the complete sequence has the net balance

\[ \boxed{\ce{C10H14O2 + 2H2 -> C10H18O2}}. \]

The very broad \(3300\text{–}2500\ \mathrm{cm^{-1}}\) band identifies the hydrogen-bonded hydroxyl group of a carboxylic acid. The formula gives

\[ \mathrm{DBE}=\frac{2(10)+2-18}{2}=2, \]

accounted for by the cyclopentane ring and the carboxyl carbonyl.

Thus J is (1S,2S,5R)-2-methyl-5-(propan-2-yl)cyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid:

C[C@H]1CC[C@H](C(C)C)[C@H]1C(=O)O

All three cyclopentane stereocentres retain their spatial configurations. The side-chain carbon is no longer stereogenic because it now bears two identical methyl groups.

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