New and efficient approaches to the semisynthesis of taxol and its C-13 side chain analogs by means of β-lactam synthon method

Abstract Highly efficient chiral ester enolate-imine condensation giving 3-hydroxy-4-aryl-β-lactams with excellent enantiomeric purity is successfully applied to the asymmetric synthesis of the enantiomerically pure taxol C-13 side chain, N -benzoyl-(2 R ,3 S )-3-phenyl-isoserine and its analogs. (3 R ,4 S )- N -benzoyl-3-(1-ethoxyethoxy)-4-phenyl-2-azetidinone readily derived from the 3-hydroxy-4-phenyl-β-lactam is coupled with protected baccatin IIIs, followed by deprotection to give optically pure taxol and 10-deacetyl-7,10-bis(Troc)-taxol in good yields. Fully assigned 1 H, 13 C, and 2D (COSY and HETCOR) NMR spectra of taxol thus synthesized are shown and discussed.