β-Fluorinated Paraconic Acid Derivatives: Synthesis and Fluorine Stereoelectronic Effects

Abstract

Abstract New methods for the introduction of fluoro substituents are in great demand, owing to the present importance of fluorinated bioactive compounds. Here we report a simple strategy for the synthesis of a new class of β-fluorinated paraconic acid derivatives. Methyl and ethyl hexanoyl succinates were fluorinated by Selectfluor®, then reduced by a mild reducing agent in acidic medium, thus partially suppressing the HF elimination reaction. The diastereomeric β-fluoro-γ-lactones afforded by lactonization of the fluorinated hydroxydiesters were separated by column chromatography. Their stereochemistry was assessed by means of 19F{1H}-HOESY NMR measurements. The relationship between the remarkable 19F chemical shift difference (20 ppm) and configuration difference was elucidated by two-component relativistic DFT calculations. Both the quick survey of conformers stability based on molecular mechanics in the RDKit environment and the DFT geometry optimizations at the scalar ZORA TZ2P/BLYP level, revealed that for the (2R,3R) diastereomer the γ-lactone ring adopts one prevalent envelope conformation, whereas for the (2R,3S) one both envelope conformations must be taken into consideration.