3-Hydroxytetrahydrofuran (3-OH THF) is a colorless liquid with a normal boiling point of 179 °C[1] and boiling at 88−89 °C at 17 mmHg,[2] with density (1.087 g/cm3 at 19 °C).[3] 3-OH THF is a useful pharmaceutical intermediate. The enantiopure (absolute configuration S) version of this compound is an intermediate to launched retroviral drugs.[4]
Synthesis
3-Hydroxytetrahydrofuran was prepared in 1910 by Pariselle[5] via cyclization and hydrolysis of 3,4-Dibromo-1-methoxybutane. Chiral 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran (both (S) – and (R)-forms) has been synthesized in high enantiomeric purity from (S)- and (R)-1,2,4-butanetriol, respectively, obtained from chiral feedstocks. Thus, the chiral (S)-1,2,4-butanetriol intermediate was cyclized to chiral (S)-3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) catalyst at temperatures of 180−220 °C.[6]
Similarly, (S)-3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran was prepared in 95.8% optical purity from L-malic acid via an esterification-reduction-cyclodehydration sequence.[7] 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran has been synthesized via hydroboration of 2,3- and 2,5-dihydrofuran employing various borane reagents[8] and chiral 3-hydroxytetrahydrofurans have also been prepared by catalytic asymmetric hydroboration of 2,3- and 2,5-dihydrofurans with a borane in the presence of a homogeneous chiral platinum complex, followed by oxidation.[9] Racemic 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran may be prepared in analogous fashion from racemic butanetriol, employing PTSA catalyst for the dehydrocyclization. Alternatively, 1,2,4-butanetriol may be converted to 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran by treating with ethylene carbonate, followed by pyrolysis of the resulting carbonate ester.[10]
Applications
3-Hydroxytetrahydrofuran is an intermediate to the AIDS drugs amprenavir and fosamprenavir.[4] Additionally, 3-OH THF has been an intermediate to developmental drug substances, such as chemotherapy agents. For example, reaction of phosphorus pentasulfide with 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran has been used in the synthesis of bis(O,O-di(tetrahydrofuran-3-yl)hydrogen dithiophosphate)platinum(II), a cisplatin analog.[11] 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran may be converted into a range of tetrahydrofuran derivatives, many of which also serve as intermediates to compounds of pharmaceutical interest. For example, tetrahydrofuran-3-one (3-ketotetrahydrofuran)[12] and 3-aminotetrahydrofuran[13] have been synthesized from 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran and used in pharmaceutical syntheses. Additionally, additive amounts (0.05-0.15 weight %) of the nitrate ester manufactured by sulfuric acid-nitric acid nitration of 3-hydoxytetrahydrofuran have been found to increase the quality (cetane number) of diesel fuel.[14]
References
^J. Lesage (1969). Bulletin de la Société Chimique de France. 11: 4147–4151.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
^ abVenkata Mandava, et al., "Preparation of fosamprenavir calcium" U.S. Pat. Appl., 20110224443 (2011)
^Pariselle (1910). "Derivatives of Butanetriol (1,2,4)". Comptes Rendus. 149: 295–8.
^Vishnu K. Tandon; Van Leusen, Albert M.; Wynberg, Hans (1983). "Synthesis of enantiomerically pure (S)-(+)-3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran, and its (R)-enantiomer, from malic or tartaric acid". Journal of Organic Chemistry. 48 (16): 2767–2769. doi:10.1021/jo00164a027.
^Xiaoqin Wang; Zhu, Derong; He, Minghua (2009). "Study on synthesis of drug intermediates (S)-3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran". Huaxue Yanjiu Yu Yingyong. 21 (7): 1070–1072.
^Herbert C. Brown; Prasad, J. V. N. Vara; Zee, Sheng Hsu (1985). "Hydroboration. 71. Hydroboration of representative heterocyclic olefins with borane-methyl sulfide, 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane, dicyclohexylborane, and disiamylborane. Synthesis of heterocyclic alcohols". Journal of Organic Chemistry. 50 (10): 1582–1589. doi:10.1021/jo00210a004.
^Anita Schnyder, et al., "Preparation of optically active 3-hydroxytetrahydrofurans by catalytic asymmetric hydroboration of dihydrofurans" Ger. Offen., 19807330 (1998)
^Dexter B. Pattison (1957). "Cyclic ethers made by pyrolysis of carbonate esters". Huaxue Yanjiu Yu Yingyong. 79: 3455–3456.
^Anthony Lowe, et al., "Dithiophosphato platinum complexes for the treatment of cancers" PCT Int. Appl., 2005095425 (2005)