Stereospecific Synthesis of (−)-β-Turmerone and (−)-Bisacurol

The structure of (+)-β-turmerone ((+)- 1a ), a constituent of the rhizomes of Curcuma longa Linn. , and Curcuma xanthorriza, is established as (1′R,6S)-2-methyl-6-(4′-methylenecyclohex-2′-en-1′-yl)hept-2-en-4-one by synthesis of its enantiomer (−)- 1a , and of the corresponding (1′S,6S)-diastereoisomer (+)- 1b as well. In a stereospecific seventeen-step procedure, the monoterpene diols 2a and 2b of well-established configuration are converted into the target compounds (−)- 1a and (+)- 1b , respectively. Moreover, (−)-bisacurol (−)- 3a (II), the enantiomer of another bisabolane sesquiterpene derived from Curcuma xanthorriza, is obtained as a single stereoisomer and shown to be (1′S,6R)-2-methyl-6-(4′-methylenecyclohex-2′-en-1′-yl)hept-2-en-4-ol, the relative configuration at the remaining OH-substituted chiral center C(4) still being unknown.     

Synthesis of (S)-(−)-β-cuparenone and (S)-(−)-cuparene

A short and efficient synthesis of the title compounds is described. (S)-(−)-β-Cuparenone was prepared in 31% yield from p-tolualdehyde and mesityl oxide in eight steps. Absolute stereochemistry was established by means of a diastereoselective cyclopropanation using (R,R)-hydrobenzoin as a recoverable auxiliary.     

Enantioselective synthesis of (−)-γ-jasmolactone

The title compound was prepared in seven steps starting from the commercially available 4-ketopimelic acid. The key step features an enantioselective lactonization promoted by PPL.     

A simple synthesis of (−)-(R)-ipsdienol and (−)-(S)-ipsenol

A short and efficient synthesis of the unnatural enantiomer of (+)-(S)-ipsdienol 1 and (−)-(S)-ipsenol 2 is presented via an asymmetric allylboration. The synthesis was achieved by using a one-pot reduction–methylenation of an exo-methylene lactone intermediate.     

Synthesis of (+)- and (−)-Phaselic Acid

The syntheses of both enantiomers of phaselic acid (2-O-caffeoylmalate) are described. The previously unreported acetate-protected caffeic acid anhydride was used with appropriately protected malic acid derivatives as coupling partners to provide fully protected phaselic acid. Sequential unmasking of the protecting groups afforded phaselic acid in an acceptable overall yield.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications® to view the free supplemental file.     

Enantioselective syntheses of (+)- and (−)-brazilin

Two enantiomers of brazilin were prepared in 9 steps from 7-hydroxychroman-4-one using the AD-mix-α and AD-mix-β-directed enantioselective dihydroxylation of 3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2H-chromen-7-ol as a key step.     

Enantiodivergent synthesis of (+)- and (−)-isolaurepan

The enantiodivergent synthesis of (+)-and (?)-isolaurepan was achieved from a common chiral template easily available from tri-O-acetyl-d-glucal, using as key step a diastereoselective thermal Claisen rearrangement, combined with a ring expansion reaction using trimethylsilyldiazomethane.     

Total Synthesis of (R)-(−)-β-Cuparenone

Abstract

(R)-(?)-β-Cuparenone has been synthesized from (S)-(+)-acid-2 obtained via resolution of the racemic acid. Two of the noteworthy steps are (a) repeated methylation of ester (+)-8 with LDA/MeI to furnish (+)-10 and (b) the reaction of 12, having two neopentyl units with NaCN.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (−)-6,7-dehydroferruginyl methyl ether

A stereoselective synthetic route to (−)-6,7-dehydroferruginyl methyl ether was developed from (S)-(−)-α-cyclocitral.     

The synthesis of (−)-cis- and (−)-trans-crobarbatic acid

The synthesis of both cis- and trans-crobarbatic acid is reported. The five-step sequence proceeds in high yield and with control of both relative and absolute stereochemistry. The key step in the synthesis is the Birch reductive alkylation of a chiral furoic acid which sets the absolute stereochemistry of the products. The stereochemistry of the compounds described was proven unambiguously by X-ray crystallography on one synthetic intermediate and on trans-crobarbatic acid.     

Asymmetric synthesis of (−)-(R)-sitagliptin

The asymmetric synthesis of (?)-(R)-sitagliptin was achieved in seven steps from commercially available starting materials using the highly diastereoselective conjugate additions of either lithium (R)-N-benzyl-N-(α-methylbenzyl)amide or lithium (R)-N-benzyl-N-(α-methyl-p-methoxybenzyl)amide to tert-butyl 4-(2′,4′,5′-trifluorophenyl)but-2-enoate to install the correct stereochemistry. Subsequent sequential acid-catalysed hydrolysis of the resultant β-amino esters, HOBt/EDC mediated coupling with the triazolopyrazine fragment, and hydrogenolysis gave (?)-(R)-sitagliptin in 43% and 42% overall yields, respectively.     

An efficient synthesis of (R)-(−)-baclofen

In this report we describe an efficient synthesis of (R)-(−)-baclofen, a selective GABA_B agonist used as an antispastic agent. Our strategy is based on an enantioselective deprotonation of a cyclobutanone easily obtained by [2+2] cycloaddition of 4-chlorostyrene and dichloroketene.     

Asymmetric synthesis of (S)-(−)-tetrahydropalmatine and (S)-(−)-canadine via a sulfinyl-directed Pictet–Spengler cyclization

(S)-(?)-Tetrahydropalmatine 2 and (S)-(?)-canadine 4 were synthesized in three steps from (S)-6, in 33% and 34% overall yield, respectively. Thus, condensation of the (S)-(E)-sulfinylimines 10 and 11 with the carbanion derived from (S)-6 gave the tetrahydroisoquinolines 12 and 13, respectively, which upon TFA induced N-desulfinylation, and subsequent microwave assisted Pictet–Spengler cyclization effected both cyclization and C-desulfinylation producing (S)-(?)-tetrahydropalmatine 2 and (S)-(?)-canadine 4 in optically pure form.     

Asymmetric synthesis of (S)-(−)-acromelobinic acid

A total synthesis of (S)-(−)-acromelobinic acid 2, which was isolated from clitocybe acromelalga, was achieved via an asymmetric hydrogenation protocol. Dehydroamino acid derivative 12 was prepared from 2,5-lutidine 5 and subjected to asymmetric hydrogenation using (S,S)-[Rh(Et-DuPHOS)(COD)]BF₄ to give the (S)-(+)-pyridylalanine derivative 13 in 93% yield and >96% e.e. Removal of the protecting groups in (S)-(+)-13 afforded (S)-(−)-acromelobinic acid 2.     

Concise enantiodivergent synthesis of (+)- and (−)-trans-quercus lactones

A concise enantiodivergent total synthesis of (+)- and (−)-quercus lactones from the known tricyclic lactone (+)-1 as a single chiral template was achieved using the diastereoselective nucleophilic addition of organometallic reagents as the key step.     

A simple asymmetric synthesis of (+)- and (−)-2,6-diaminopimelic acids

The asymmetric synthesis of both the enantiomers of 2,6-diaminopimelic acid (2,6-DAP) has been accomplished starting from the chiral synthon 1.     

Total Synthesis of (−)-Rotundone and (−)-epi-Rotundone from Monoterpene Precursors

The first total synthesis of (−)-rotundone has been accomplished from (+)-(R)-limonene and therefore for the first time from an unrelated monoterpene instead of modifying structurally closely related sesquiterpene precursors such as α-guaiene. Challenges such as intermediates with stereocenters prone to epimerization by enolization were overcome by designing a β-methyl-keto route starting from (+)-(R)-limonene which finally gave (−)-rotundone by Nazarov cyclization of a precursor 13a . Diastereomer (−)-epi-rotundone was separated from (−)-rotundone chromatographically. An alternative route from rac-citronellal provided a diastereomer mixture of racemic Nazarov precursor 13 through a TRIP-catalyzed intramolecular aldolization, thus indicating that the Nazarov cyclization precursor 13a is in principle accessible from (−)-(S)-citronellal. The 11-step synthesis from (+)-(R)-limonene with ca. 1 % overall yield confirmed the absolute configuration of (−)-rotundone and provided samples of good olfactory quality.     

An efficient stereocontrolled synthesis of (−)-10-epi-5β,11-dihydroxyeudesmane and (−)-4,10-epi-5β,11-dihydroxyeudesmane

A concise and efficient synthesis of (−)-10-epi-5β,11-dihydroxyeudesmane 1 and (−)-4,10-epi-5β,11-dihydroxyeudesmane 2, via (−)-10-epi-γ-eudesmol 5, was accomplished starting from (+)-dihydrocarvone. The salient feature of our synthesis is the utilization of substrate-directable epoxidation and homogeneous hydrogenation to control the stereochemistry at the C-4 and C-5 positions of the title compounds.     

Efficient synthesis of (−)-(R)- and (+)-(S)-rolipram

A novel, efficient and protecting group free enantioselective synthetic approach of (?)-(R)-1 and (+)-(S)-rolipram 2 is described employing the organocatalyzed asymmetric Michael addition, Henry condensation, Wittig olefination and reductive lactamization reactions as key steps.     

Total synthesis of 2-(2-hydroxyalkyl)-piperidine alkaloids (−)-halosaline and (−)-8-epi-halosaline via iterative asymmetric allylation/RCM strategy

Total synthesis of 2-(2-hydroxyalkyl)-piperidine alkaloids, (?)-halosaline and (?)-8-epi-halosaline is reported from n-butyraldehyde using iterative asymmetric allylation, nucleophilic substitution with an azide and ring-closing metathesis as the key reactions.