Pheromone synthesis. Part 249: Syntheses of methyl (R,E)-2,4,5-tetradecatrienoate and methyl (2E,4Z)-2,4-decadienoate, the pheromone components of the male dried bean beetle, Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say)

The enantiomers of methyl (E)-2,4,5-tetradecatrienoate (1), a component of the male pheromone of Acanthoscelides obtectus, were synthesized from the enantiomers of 1-undecyn-3-ol (6), which were obtained via asymmetric acetylation of (±)-1-trimethylsilyl-1-undecyn-3-ol (4) with vinyl acetate as catalyzed by lipase PS (Amano). The ortho ester Claisen rearrangement of 6 with triethyl orthoacetate was the key-step to generate the chiral allenic system. A new synthesis of (±)-1 was also executed starting from (±)-6. Three different syntheses of methyl (2E,4Z)-2,4-decadienoate (2), another component of the male pheromone of A. obtectus, were achieved by means of either palladium-catalyzed Heck reaction or a Claisen and an Al2O3 catalyzed thermal rearrangements.