The tamoxifen cation reacts to give indene products

Abstract

The tamoxifen carbocation (Ph(Ar)C=CPh-CH+-CH3, Ar = 4-Me2NCH2CH2OC6H4) is generated from acetate and sulfate precursors by SN1 ionization in water. The cation exists in (E) and (Z) forms which equilibrate before reaction. The major products are the α-hydroxytamoxifens Ph(Ar)C=CPh-CHOH-CH3, both (E) 64% and (Z) 29%, with the ratio independent of the configuration of the starting ester. Two minor products with a total yield of 7% account for the rest of the products. These have been characterized as indenes derived from intramolecular cyclization, a 4.5% yield of the indene derived from cyclization into the Ar ring with 2.5% due to cyclization into the phenyl ring. Experiments in acid solutions (0.01-0.1 M HCl) starting with pure (E)- or (Z)-α-hydroxytamoxifen reveal that the two alcohols equilibrate. This occurs by H+-catalyzed formation of the carbocation followed by water capture. Occurring about 10-fold slower than this isomerization is an irreversible process resulting in the two indenes. This cyclization will result in the destruction of the α-hydroxytamoxifens upon exposure to acidic conditions and also makes the direct observation of the tamoxifen carbocation under super-acid conditions difficult, if not impossible. The indenes do form in low yield whenever the tamoxifen carbocation is generated from an SN1 precursor. Thus these products could serve as markers for the formation of the tamoxifen carbocation in cellular systems or in in vivo experiments.Key words: carbocation, indene, allylic cation, isomerization.