Regioselective Bromination of Benzocycloheptadienones for the Synthesis of Substituted 3,4-Benzotropolones Including Goupiolone A.

Type-18 or -23 benzocycloheptadienones are readily prepared by ring-closing olefin metatheses. Adding Br2 to 23 and eliminating HBr gave the bromoolefin 28 using DBU or its isomer iso-28 using DABCO, both with near-perfect regiocontrol. Both 28 and iso-28 underwent Sonogashira, Suzuki, Negishi, and Heck couplings as well as Pd-catalyzed alkoxycarbonylations. Hydrolysis of the resulting α-ketoketals and enolization of the liberated α-diketones delivered a portfolio of hitherto unknown 3,4-benzotropolones. The 8-ethoxycarbonylated dimethyl-3,4-benzotropolone 50 obtained by this route was dimethylated to give goupiolone A (52). This synthesis encompasses 9 steps from 22, that is, half as many as the only previous synthesis (19 steps). A variant of our route afforded the 1,8-dibromide 54. Coupling with excess phenylboronic acid and ketal hydrolysis provided the diphenylated benzotropolone 56 and suggests a strategy, by which the natural bispulvinone aurantricholone (7) might be reached.