Systematic synthesis of Bis-THF ring cores in annonaceous acetogenins

Systematic synthesis of bis-THF ring cores, synthetic intermediates of adjacent bis-THF annonaceous acetogenins, has been achieved by asymmetric alkynylation and subsequent stereodivergent THF ring formation. The asymmetric alkynylation of alpha-tetrahydrofuranic aldehyde with (S)-3-butyne-1,2-diol derivatives gave good yields of erythro- and threo-adducts with very high diastereoselectivity. These adducts were converted into four types of bis-THF cores via two kinds of one-pot THF ring formation. [reaction: see text]     

Total synthesis of the antitumor acetogenin mosin B: desymmetrization approach to the stereodivergent synthesis of threo/trans/erythro-type acetogenins

A total synthesis of the threo/trans/erythro-type acetogenin mosin B and one of its diastereomers has been achieved. The carbon skeleton is assembled in a convergent fashion from two segments (a THF ring segment and a gamma-lactone segment) through the Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi reaction. The THF ring segment was stereoselectively constructed by a stereodivergent synthesis starting from a common intermediate (4-cyclohexene-1,2-diol) based on a desymmetrization strategy. The gamma-lactone segment was synthesized by coupling a triflate and a chiral alpha-sulfenyl gamma-lactone. By virtue of these synthetic results, we suggest that the absolute configuration of natural mosin B is 1 a. Antiproliferative effects of 1 a and 1 b were also investigated.     

Highly stereoselective and stereodivergent synthesis of four types of THF cores in acetogenins using a C4-chiral building block

[reaction: see text] Four stereoisomers of the THF cores, synthetic intermediates of acetogenins, have been synthesized with high diastereoselectivity by asymmetric alkynylation and subsequent stereodivergent THF ring formation. The asymmetric alkynylation of alpha-oxyaldehyde with (S)-3-butyne-1,2-diol derivatives (C4-unit) gave good yields of syn and anti adducts with >97:3 dr and 94:6 dr, respectively. These adducts were converted into the four types of THF compounds via one-pot THF formation or via intramolecular Williamson synthesis.     

Stereodivergent Construction of 1,3-Chiral Centers via Tandem Asymmetric Conjugate Addition and Allylic Substitution Reaction

Herein, we report a synthesis of cyclohexanones bearing multi-continuous stereocenters by combining copper-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition of dialkylzinc reagents to cyclic enones with iridium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution reaction. Good to excellent yields, diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity can be obtained. Unlike the stereodivergent construction of adjacent stereocenters (1,2-position) reported in the literature, the current reaction can achieve the stereodivergent construction of nonadjacent stereocenters (1,3-position) by a proper combination of two chiral catalysts with different enantiomers.     

Catalytic enantioselective approach to the stereodivergent synthesis of (+)-lasubines I and II

A concise and efficient approach to the stereodivergent synthesis of (+)-lasubines I and II is described. The key common intermediate is a chiral N-sulfonyl 2,3-dihydropyridone obtained by a novel Cu-catalyzed asymmetric formal aza-Diels-Alder reaction between N-tosyl aldimines and Danishefsky's diene.     

A Stereodivergent Approach to the Synthesis of gem-Diborylcyclopropanes

We report a designed stereodivergent strategy for the synthesis of gem-diborylcyclopropanes. The reaction provides a highly modular approach to prepare cyclopropane ring variants bearing gem-(Bpin,Bpin), gem-(Bpin,Bdan), and gem-(Bpin,BF₃K), with outstanding levels of stereocontrol. This was achieved by diastereoselective Pd-catalyzed cyclopropanation reactions of gem-diborylalkenes with α-diazoarylacetates and α-diazoaryl-trifluoromethyl. The key to the success of this general protocol was the diastereoselective trifluorination reaction of gem-diborylcyclopropanes, followed by the stereospecific interconversion of the trifluoroborate salts into the Bdan group.     

Visible-Light-Enabled Stereodivergent Synthesis of E- and Z-Configured 1,4-Dienes by Photoredox/Nickel Dual Catalysis

A stereodivergent reductive coupling reaction between allylic carbonates and vinyl triflates to furnish both E- and Z-configured 1,4-dienes has been achieved by visible-light-induced photoredox/nickel dual catalysis. The mild reaction conditions allow good compatibility of both vinyl triflates and allylic carbonates. Notably, the stereoselectivity of this synergistic cross-electrophile coupling can be tuned by an appropriate photocatalyst with a suitable triplet-state energy, providing a practical and stereodivergent means to alkene synthesis. Preliminary mechanistic studies shed some light on the coupling step as well as the control of the stereoselectivity step.     

Enantioselective synthesis of bridged bicyclic ring systems

The type 2 intramolecular Diels-Alder (IMDA) reaction is a valuable method for synthesis of both carbocyclic and heterocyclic bridged bicyclo[5.3.1]undecane and bicyclo[4.3.1]decane ring systems. These structures are common to a number of biologically important natural products. Asymmetric variants of the type 2 IMDA reaction incorporating oxazolidinone chiral auxiliaries have been evaluated. This study has resulted in systems that deliver bridged bicyclic [5.3.1] and [4.3.1] ring systems in high diastereomeric (97-99% de) and enantiomeric purity.     

Visible‐Light‐Enabled Stereodivergent Synthesis of E‐ and Z‐Configured 1,4‐Dienes by Photoredox/Nickel Dual Catalysis

A stereodivergent reductive coupling reaction between allylic carbonates and vinyl triflates to furnish both E‐ and Z‐configured 1,4‐dienes has been achieved by visible‐light‐induced photoredox/nickel dual catalysis. The mild reaction conditions allow good compatibility of both vinyl triflates and allylic carbonates. Notably, the stereoselectivity of this synergistic cross‐electrophile coupling can be tuned by an appropriate photocatalyst with a suitable triplet‐state energy, providing a practical and stereodivergent means to alkene synthesis. Preliminary mechanistic studies shed some light on the coupling step as well as the control of the stereoselectivity step.     

A Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis ofN-Boc-beta-Methylphenylalanines

An efficient, stereodivergent, and enantioselective synthesis of the syn and anti diastereomers of N-Boc-beta-methylphenylalanine has been developed. Starting from enantiomerically pure (2S,3S)-2,3-epoxy-3-phenyl-1-propanol, a three-step sequence, consisting of the oxidation of the primary alcohol up to the carboxyl stage, ring opening of the epoxy acid with Me(2)CuCNLi(2), and esterification of the resulting hydroxy acid with methyl iodide, leads to the hydroxy ester anti-10, which has been converted in a stereodivergent manner into both the (2S,3R) and the (2R,3R) diastereomers of N-Boc-beta-methylphenylalanine, syn-1 and anti-1, respectively. Activation of the secondary hydroxy group in anti-10 as a mesylate, followed by nucleophilic displacement with sodium azide, hydrogenolysis with simultaneous protection of the amino group, and saponification with LiOH, affords syn-1. The same reaction sequence applied to syn-10, obtained in turn by Mitsunobu reaction of anti-10 with p-nitrobenzoic acid followed by the hydrolysis of the resulting p-nitrobenzoate, leads to anti-1. Both products have been obtained with >/=99% enantiomeric excess.     

Temperature-Controlled Stereodivergent Synthesis of 2,2′-Biflavanones Promoted by Samarium Diiodide

In this work, the first example of a radical stereodivergent reaction directed towards the stereoselective synthesis of both (R*,R*)- and (R*,S*)-2,2′-biflavanones promoted by samarium diiodide is reported. Control experiments showed that the selectivity of this reaction was exclusively controlled by the temperature. It was possible to generate a variety of 2,2′-biflavanones bearing different substitution patterns at the aromatic ring in good-to-quantitative yields, being both stereoisomers of the desired compounds obtained with total or high control of selectivity. A mechanism that explains both the generation of the corresponding 2,2′-biflavanones and the selectivity is also discussed. The structure and stereochemistry determination of each isomer was unequivocally elucidated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments.     

Stereodivergent Hydroboration of Allenes

Full details of a stereodivergent hydroboration of allenes are reported. While hydroboration of an allene with 9‐BBN provided a thermodynamically stable (E)‐allylic alcohol after oxidative work‐up, the reaction of an identical allene with HB(Sia)₂ (disiamylborane) formed a (Z)‐allylic alcohol as the kinetic product. The developed conditions allowed for the synthesis of trisubstituted olefins in a highly stereoselective fashion, which is known to be challenging. The method was also applied to the stereodivergent synthesis of structural motifs such as skipped dienes and allylbenzenes, which are often embedded in biologically active natural products.     

Synthesis and assignment of the absolute stereochemistry of (+)-hemifistularin 3

The first total synthesis of the marine natural product (+)-hemifistularin 3 in enantiomerically pure form was accomplished by using the amide forming reaction of (+)-spiroisoxazoline ester with the (+)-octopamine derivative. The stereodivergent strategy employed in this effort enabled the assignment of the absolute configurations at the three stereogenic centers in (+)-hemifistularin 3.     

Highly Regio‐ and Stereodivergent Access to 1,2‐Amino Alcohols or 1,4‐Fluoro Alcohols by NHC‐Catalyzed Ring Opening of Epoxy enals

Described is an unprecedented NHC‐catalyzed (NHC=N‐heterocyclic carbene), stereoselective ring opening of epoxy and cyclopropyl enals to deliver valuable compounds bearing multiple stereocenters. A straightforward three‐step procedure involving two catalytic enantioselective transformations has been developed and leads to a regio‐ and stereodivergent synthesis of either 1,2‐amino alcohols/diamines or 1,4‐fluoro alcohols with excellent diastereo‐ and enantiopurity.     

Sequence-Dependent Stereodivergent Allylic Alkylation/Fluorination of Acyclic Ketones

The stereodivergent iridium-catalyzed allylic alkylation and fluorination of acyclic ketones is described. α-Pyridyl-α-fluoroketones with vicinal tertiary and quaternary stereocenters were obtained in moderate to excellent yields and stereoselectivities. Distinct from known stereodivergent synthesis, for which two different chiral catalysts are required in general, herein we report a sequence-dependent stereodivergent synthesis. With only a single chiral Ir catalyst, all four possible stereoisomers of the products were prepared from the same starting materials by simply adjusting the sequence of asymmetric allylic alkylation and fluorination and varying the absolute configuration of the Ir catalyst.     

A short enantioselective synthesis of (+)-eleutherin, (+)-allo-eleutherin and a formal synthesis of (+)-nocardione B

A short enantioselective synthesis of (+)-eleutherin, (+)-allo-eleutherin and the formal synthesis of (+)-nocardione B is described. The synthesis is completed in six steps in overall yields of 8% for eleutherin and 14% for allo-eleutherin. The synthetic strategy features an efficient combination of the Dötz annulation reaction with a chiral alkyne and an oxa-Pictet Spengler reaction as the keys steps in the stereodivergent synthesis of (+)-eleutherin and (+)-allo-eleutherin. The synthesis of (S)-(+)-2-(2′-hydroxypropyl)-5-methoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone entails the formal synthesis of (+)-nocardione B.     

A noncarbohydrate based approach to polyhydroxylated pyrrolidizines: total syntheses of the natural products hyacinthacine A1 and 1-epiaustraline

[reaction: see text] A flexible route to polyhydroxylated pyrrolizidine alkaloids is described, starting from commercially available N-Boc pyrrole and using a partial reduction as the key step. Tactics for varying the stereochemistry around the ring by choice of partial reduction conditions are discussed and methods for constructing the bicyclic ring system of the pyrrolizidine targets are examined. Intramolecular S(N)2 type displacement reactions were found to be an efficient way of forming the requisite bicyclo ring systems while iodine-promoted cyclizations proved unsuitable. A first synthesis of hyacinthacine A1 is described that also confirmed the structure of the natural product, and a short stereoselective synthesis of 1-epiaustraline is also discussed in detail.     

Stereodivergent approach to the asymmetric synthesis of bacillariolides: a formal synthesis of ent-bacillariolide II

[reaction: see text] Asymmetric synthesis of densely functionalized bicyclic frameworks for entry into bacillariolides I/III and ent-bacillariolide II is reported. The key features are ring-closing metathesis of a pair of diastereomerically related dienes obtained through a stereodivergent route from a R-(+)-glyceraldehyde derivative, transformation of a nonstereoselective cyclopentene ester enolate alkylation process to a completely stereoselective one through alkylation of a bulky ester enolate with a bulky electrophile, and a remote silyloxymethyl group directed epoxidation.     

Sequence‐Dependent Stereodivergent Allylic Alkylation/Fluorination of Acyclic Ketones

The stereodivergent iridium‐catalyzed allylic alkylation and fluorination of acyclic ketones is described. α‐Pyridyl‐α‐fluoroketones with vicinal tertiary and quaternary stereocenters were obtained in moderate to excellent yields and stereoselectivities. Distinct from known stereodivergent synthesis, for which two different chiral catalysts are required in general, herein we report a sequence‐dependent stereodivergent synthesis. With only a single chiral Ir catalyst, all four possible stereoisomers of the products were prepared from the same starting materials by simply adjusting the sequence of asymmetric allylic alkylation and fluorination and varying the absolute configuration of the Ir catalyst.     

Palladium-Catalyzed Aminoalkylative Cyclization Enables Modular Synthesis of Exocyclic 1,3-Dienes

A novel and efficient palladium-catalyzed regioselective and stereodivergent ring-closing reaction of aminoenynes with aldehydes and boronic acids or hydrosilane is developed. This three-component reaction allows for the modular synthesis of a series of exocyclic 1,3-dienes bearing 5- to 8-membered saturated N-heterocycles. The reactions utilize a simple Pd-catalyst and work with broad range of aminoenynes, aldehydes and organometallic reagents under mild reaction conditions. The products represent useful intermediates for chemical synthesis due to the versatility of the conjugated diene. Preliminary mechanistic details of the method are also revealed.