Patent ID: 8410305

Claim:
A method for the preparation of an epothilone intermediate, said method comprising: a) contacting a compound having the formula: wherein the subscripts n and m are each independently 0 or 1, indicating the absence or presence of methyl groups at the respective positions; X 1 is a member selected from the group consisting of OR 1 , N(R 2 ) 2 and N(R 2 )OR 1 ; wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of H, lower alkyl, a carboxylic acid protecting group and a hydroxy protecting group, and each R 2 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, lower alkyl and an amino protecting group; Y 1 is a member selected from the group consisting of O and NR 4 , wherein R 4 is selected from the group consisting of H, lower alkyl and an amino protecting group; with an alane reagent having the formula: wherein each R a is independently selected from lower alkyl and cycloalkyl; R is a member selected from the group consisting of vinyl, allyl, 2-buten-1-yl and 3-trimethylsilylprop-2-yn-1-yl; and Z is a member selected from the group consisting of CH 3 and CF 3 ; to provide a compound having the formula: wherein the subscripts n and m are each independently 0 or 1, indicating the absence or presence of methyl groups at the respective positions; X is a member selected from the group consisting of CH 3 , OR 1 , N(R 2 ) 2 and N(R 2 )OR 1 ; wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of H, lower alkyl, a carboxylic acid protecting group and a hydroxy protecting group, and each R 2 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, lower alkyl and an amino protecting group; Y is a member selected from the group consisting of OR 3 and NHR 4 , wherein R 3 is selected from the group consisting of H, lower alkyl and a hydroxy protecting group, and R 4 is selected from the group consisting of H, lower alkyl and an amino protecting group; Z is a member selected from the group consisting of CH 3 and CF 3 ; and R is selected from the group consisting of vinyl, allyl, 2-buten-1-yl and 3-trimethylsilylprop-2-yn-1-yl.