A Novel Approach to the Synthesis of Taxol. A Synthesis of Optically Active 3,7-dibenzyloxy-4,8-di-t-butyl-dimethylsiloxy-5,5-dimethyl-6-p-methoxybenzyloxy-2-octanone by Way of Stereoselective Aldol Reactions

Optically active 3,7-dibenzyloxy-4,8-di-t-butyldimethylsiloxy-5,5-dimethyl-6-p-methoxybenzyloxy-2-octanone (2) has been synthesized by way of diastereoselective aldol reaction between 4-benzyloxy-5-t-butyldimethylsiloxy-2,2-dimethyl-3-p-methoxy-benzyloxypentanal (3) and ketene silyl acetal 4 using MgBr2·OEt2 as a catalyst. The chiral pentanal 3 was synthesized either by asymmetric aldol reaction of both prochiral aldehyde 5 and ketene silyl acetal 4 using a chiral Lewis acid or by diastereoselective aldol reaction between the chiral aldehyde 6 derived from L-serine and the lithium enolate derived from methyl isobutyrate.