Abstract
Chemistry has been defined by some as an art, by others as a science and people have gone as far as dismissing it as pure alchemy. Overall, however, one cannot help but come to the conclusion that chemistry is a unique blend of all three.
The work contained within this manuscript is an attempt to delve deep into the mysteries of but one type of transformation - a ¡¥simple¡¦ cyclisation step in which one couples two different moieties to form a cyclobutane ring with the aid of SmI2. There are two opposing forces of nature which control the outcome of this reaction, namely elimination and cyclisation and it is the contest between these two driving forces that ultimately decides the fate of these transformations.
This work was born from previous attempts in RAU¡¦s laboratories to synthesise chiral cyclobutane derivatives from carbohydrates as well as the apparent discrepancies in two independent scientists¡¦ publications on the effect of SmI2 on reactions utilising 1,4-diketones. Hoffmann from Germany had managed to form 1,2-cyclobutanediols from a pinacol reaction promoted by SmI2 while Ghosh in India had experienced fragmentation products under similar conditions.
The information contained herein provides a bird¡¦s eye view of cyclisation vs. fragmentation in 1,4-disubstituted compounds as well as an insight into how one might avoid or exploit the particular reaction pathways. The effects of various moieties in a ¡§ƒ×¡¨ disposition to the ketone have been investigated to obtain a broader understanding of the scope of the cyclobutane ring formation.
These findings also provide the information necessary for effecting cyclobutane ring closures within the realm of carbohydrate chemistry. One will learn that the ¡¥geminal¡¦ effect is not the only efficacious method for the coupling of a ketyl radical and an activated alkene to form a four-membered ring.
The thesis concludes with a strategic route towards the synthesis of a potential antiviral compound containing the cyclobutane substructure, originating from the simple sugar D-ribose.
Prof. D.B.G. Williams