Synthetic routes to non-symmetric tropones

The synthesis of substituted non-symmetric tropones has proven to be a considerable synthetic challenge. Particularly, a 3,4,6-tnsubstituted tropone which is required for the total synthesis of CP-225,917 is currently being undertaken by our group.Two approaches towards the synthesis of substituted tropones are presented. Both utilize linear diene precursors which are closed to 7-membered cycloheptene rings via ring closing metathesis. In the first method, linear precursors are synthesized by addition of nucleophilic substituents to carbonyl groups to form alcohol groups. After forming the cycloheptene ring, the alcohol groups are eliminated to form the tropone. The second method uses an oxidation protocol to form a,(3-unsaturation on either side of a cycloheptenone precursor. An attempt towards the synthesis of the desired tropone required for the CP-225,917 synthesis is also presented.The methods described here use simple inexpensive starting materials and provide access to tropone substitution not readily available through other means