Electrochemical bromination of cholest-5-enes.

Four 5,6-unsaturated steroids--3beta-chlorocholest-5-ene (1a), cholesterol (1b) and its acetate (1c) and benzoate (1d)-were subjected to constant current electrolysis (50 mA, 2 F mol(-1)) in an electrolytic cell divided by a ceramic membrane, using a platinum foil as the anode and a graphite stick as the cathode. When electrolysis was carried out in a solution of tetraethylammonium bromide in aprotic solvents (dichloromethane, acetonitrile or acetic anhydride), the addition of electrochemically-generated elemental bromine onto the double bond of the cholesterol derivatives gave their corresponding 5alpha,6beta-dibromosteroids--3beta-chloro-5alpha,6beta-dibromocholestane (2a), 5alpha,6beta-dibromocholestan-3beta-ol (2b), 5alpha,6beta-dibromocholestan-3beta-yl acetate (2c) and 5alpha,6beta-dibromocholestan-3beta-yl benzoate (2d)--as the sole products, and in good yields (58-91%). However, the electrolysis of steroids 1a-c in a solution of tetraethylammonium bromide with methanol as the solvent proceeded to give, in addition to dibromides 2a-c, the corresponding diastereomeric pairs of 5-bromo-6-methoxysteroids: 5alpha-bromo-3beta-chloro-6beta-methoxycholestane (3a) and 5beta-bromo-3beta-chloro-6alpha-methoxycholestane (4a), 5alpha-bromo-6beta-methoxycholestan-3beta-ol (3b) and 5beta-bromo-6alpha-methoxycholestan-3beta-ol (4b) and 5alpha-bromo-6beta-methoxycholestan-3beta-yl acetate (3c) and 5alpha-bromo-6beta-methoxycholestan-3beta-yl acetate (4c).

Electrochemical synthesis and X-ray crystal structures of beta-D-2-phenylselenyl-1,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetylglucopyranose and alpha-D-2-phenylselenyl-1,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetylmannopyranose.

Electrochemical acetoxyphenylselenation of 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran and D-3,4,6-tri-O-acetylglucal was studied. The constant current electrolysis (50mA) of dihydropyran and diphenyl diselenide in an acetic acid solution of tetramethylammonium chloride was performed at room temperature in an undivided cell using a graphite anode and an aluminum cathode and yielded trans-DL-2-acetoxy-3-phenylselenyltetrahydropyran (27%), in agreement with Markovnikov's rule. The analysis of the 1H NMR spectral data showed that the acetoxy and phenylselenyl groups adopt axial positions in the most stable conformation of this compound due to the anomeric effect.