An improved synthesis of 1,1-dimethylethyl 6-cyanomethyl-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane-4-acetate, a key intermediate for atorvastatin synthesis

✍ Scribed by Stanislav Rádl; Jan Stach; Josef Hajicek

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2002
• Tongue: French
• Weight: 67 KB
• Volume: 43
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0040-4039
• DOI: 10.1016/s0040-4039(02)00175-2

✦ Synopsis

An improved synthesis of 1,1-dimethylethyl 6-cyanomethyl-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane-4-acetate, a key intermediate for the synthesis of an effective HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor atorvastatin, is described. The synthesis is based on the iodolactonization of hepta-1,6-dien-4-ol to 4-allyl-6-iodomethyl-1,3-dioxan-2-one, which was converted in several steps to (6-allyl-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxan-4-yl)-acetonitrile. This intermediate provided (6-cyanomethyl-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxan-4-yl)acetic acid either via the corresponding aldehyde or via (2,2-dimethyl-6-oxiranylmethyl-1,3-dioxan-4-yl)acetonitrile.