A Concise, Enantioselective Synthesis of (-)- and (+)-Hongconin

Optically pure enone 9c, available in three steps from known 6-deoxy D-galactal derivative 7b, reacts with cyanophthalide 6 to directly afford the natural product (-)-hongconin (1), a compound from traditional Chinese medicine recently shown to exhibit antianginal activity. The enantiomer of 1 and its (+)-cis-diastereomer were also synthesized in a parallel fashion from the L-sugar counterpart. The use of C-glycoside Michael acceptors, as opposed to their O-glycoside counterparts, represents a potentially useful simplification of phthalide annulation methodology in synthesizing numerous other such optically pure isochromanquinoids, since it obviates the inconvenience of additional steps late in the synthetic scheme associated with reductive manipulation of a remaining acetal moiety into the desired pyran ring substituent.     

Synthesis of (-)-callicarpenal, a potent arthropod-repellent

Callicarpenal (1), a natural terpenoid isolated from American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), has shown significant repellent activities against mosquitoes, ticks, and imported fire ants. Here we report our efficient synthetic approach to this natural product, and preliminary results of the mosquito biting-deterrent effects of callicarpenal as well as its synthetic precursors and related C₈-epimers. The synthetic strategy allows rapid access to various epimers and analogues of the natural product that can be used to explore its structure-activity relationship and optimize its biological properties.     

Total synthesis, structure revision, and absolute configuration of (-)-brevenal

Total synthesis of structure 1 originally proposed for brevenal, a nontoxic polycyclic ether natural product isolated from the Florida red tide dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, was accomplished. The key features of the synthesis involved (i) convergent assembly of the pentacyclic polyether skeleton based on our developed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling chemistry and (ii) stereoselective construction of the multi-substituted (E,E)-dienal side chain by using copper(I) thiophen-2-carboxylate (CuTC)-promoted modified Stille coupling. The disparity of NMR spectra between the synthetic material and the natural product required a revision of the proposed structure. Detailed spectroscopic comparison of synthetic 1 with natural brevenal, coupled with the postulated biosynthetic pathway for marine polyether natural products, suggested that the natural product was most likely represented by 2, the C26 epimer of the proposed structure 1. The revised structure was finally validated by completing the first total synthesis of (-)-2, which also unambiguously established the absolute configuration of the natural product.     

Evolution of a protecting-group-free total synthesis: studies en route to the neuroactive marine macrolide (-)-palmyrolide A

A full account of our synthetic work toward the first total synthesis of the neuroactive marine macrolide (-)-palmyrolide A is described. Our first-generation approach aimed to unlock the unknown C(5)-C(7) stereochemical relationship via the synthesis of four diastereomers of palmyrolide A aldehyde, a known degradation product. When these efforts provided inconclusive results, recourse to synthesizing all possible stereocombinations of the 15-membered macrolide was undertaken. These studies were critical in confirming the absolute stereochemistry, yielding the first total synthesis of (+)-ent-palmyrolide A. Subsequent to this work, the first protecting-group-free total synthesis of natural (-)-palmyrolide A is also reported.     

Total synthesis of (S)-(−)-cyclooroidin

The first total synthesis of enantiopure (S)-(−)-cyclooroidin is described. Absolute configuration of this natural product has been confirmed by comparison of the optical rotation value of our synthetic sample with the one measured on natural cyclooroidin.     

First synthetic approach towards K-259-2, a unique calmodulin antagonist

K-259-2, a unique calmodulin antagonist, is an allyl chain containing anthraquinone natural product. A regiospecific synthetic approach towards K-259-2 is herein represented. The study also showcases a protocol for synthesizing heavily substituted bromo naphthoate which was found to be suitable for fabricating the K-259-2 motif.     

Total synthesis of (-)- and (+)-dysibetaine

Glycidamides 6R and 6S were elaborated to (R,R)- and (S,S)-dysibetaines (1R and 1S) by intramolecular alkylation and functional group modification in 23% overall yield. The absolute stereochemistry of natural dysibetaine was established as S,S by comparison of the optical rotation of the natural product with that of the synthetic materials.     

Behaviour of palladium(II), platinum(IV), and rhodium(III) in artificial and natural waters: influence of reactor surface and geochemistry on metal recovery

The recovery of dissolved platinum group elements (PGE: Pd(II), Pt(IV) and Rh(III)) added to Milli-Q^® water, artificial freshwater and seawater and filtered natural waters has been studied, as a function of pH and PGE concentration, in containers of varying synthetic composition. The least adsorptive and/or precipitative loss was obtained for borosilicate glass under most of the conditions employed, whereas the greatest loss was obtained for low-density polyethylene. Of the polymeric materials tested, the adsorptive and/or precipitative loss of PGE was lowest for fluorinated ethylene propylene (Teflon^®). The loss of Pd(II) in freshwater was significant due to its affinity for surface adsorption and its relatively low solubility. The presence of natural dissolved organic matter increases the recovery of Pd(II) but enhances the loss of Pt(IV). The loss of Rh(III) in seawater was significant and was mainly due to precipitation, whereas Pd(II) recovery was enhanced, compared to freshwater, because of its complexation with chloride. The results have important implications regarding protocols employed for sample preservation and controlled laboratory experiments used in the study of the speciation and biogeochemical behaviour of PGE.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of (S)-(−)-quinolactacin B

The enantioselective total synthesis of (−)-quinolactacin B (−)-1 was performed in seven steps and 33% overall yield from tryptamine. The synthesis features the use of ruthenium catalytic asymmetric hydrogen reaction to introduce the chirality in dihydro-β-carboline 2. Based on Noyori’s work, the hydrogenation using the (R,R)-TsDPEN-Ru complex produces dihydro-β-carbolines possessing the (S) absolute configuration, the corrected asymmetric center of the natural product. The synthetic quinolactacin B displayed optical rotations that was in accordance with that of the natural product, thereby supporting the (S) configuration for natural quinolactacin B. The final product’s stereochemical assignment is in agreement with that proposed by Nakagawa and co-workers.     

有机化学进展(2011~2012)

本文综述了中国大陆地区有机化学研究人员2011至2012年两年内在合成方法学、有机合成化学、元素有机化学以及天然产物化学等领域获得的重要成果。文章中共引用参考文献355篇,其中110多篇手性金属配合物和有机小分子催化的不对称反应、金属催化的碳氢键活化等合成方法学论文和30余篇氟有机化学论文基本来源于德国《应用化学》(国际版)和《美国化学杂志》。本文汇集了中国有机化学家两年中合成的150多个具有生物活性和化学结构多样性的天然产物,其中不乏具有高度挑战性的复杂天然分子。在近两年中中国有机化学家从陆地和海洋的生物体内发现各种不同类型新天然产物90多个。     

N-苄基-3(S)-邻苯二甲酰亚胺基-4(S)-[4(S)-2,2-二甲基-1,3-二氧环戊-4-基]-2-氧吖丁啶的合成

以L-抗坏血酸(1)为原料,经3步反应制得(S)-缩异丙氧叉甘油醛(4).该手性醛与苄胺缩合制得相应的手性亚胺(5).甘氨酸经保护后制成酰氯,在有机碱作用下首先生成不稳定的烯酮(8),继与手性亚胺5迅速进行[2+2]环加成反应,合成标题化合物N-苄基-3(S)-邻苯二甲酰亚胺基-4(S)-[4(S)-2,2-二甲基-1,3-二氧环戊-4-基]-2-氧吖丁啶.由于环加成的面向立体选择性容易控制,由此所得产物的光学纯度和化学收率均较高     

Expeditious enyne construction from alkynes via oxidative Pd(II)-catalyzed Heck-type coupling

The enyne, ubiquitous in natural products, can be a challenge to generate since these moieties require many synthetic transformations to assemble them. We developed a simpler protocol to construct enynes while we found that this oxidative reaction was tolerant in substrate scope. In addition, the utility of this reaction was demonstrated through the attempt in synthesizing antifungal agent Lamisil^™.     

Enantioselective synthesis of (-)-jiadifenin, a potent neurotrophic modulator

The first enantioselective synthesis of (-)-jiadifenin (1), a potent neurite outgrowth promoter isolated from the Illicium species, is described. The synthetic strategy builds upon bicyclic motif 6, which represents the AB ring of the natural product and proceeds in 19 steps and 1.1% overall yield. Key to our approach is a Mn(III)-mediated oxidation reaction of A ring that, following a regio- and diastereoselective α-hydroxylation and methylation sequence, produces the desired functionalities of (-)-jiadifenin. The effect of synthetic 1 in NGF-mediated neurite outgrowth was also measured in PC-12 cells.     

Diastereoselective synthesis of glutamate-appended oxolane rings: synthesis of (s)-(+)-lycoperdic acid

The stereocontrolled synthesis of the glutamate-containing natural product (S)-(+)-lycoperdic acid is described. The key transformation in the synthetic route was an efficient diastereoselective annulation of an oxolane ring onto a pyroglutamate scaffold to construct either a gamma,gamma-disubstituted glutamate-appended tetrahydrofuran or a gamma-lactone. The reaction sequence also featured an improved method for the halogenation of pyroglutamate derivatives in high yield with enhanced stereoselection.     

A facile synthesis of cyclic bis(3′→5′)diguanylic acid

This paper describes a new method for synthesizing biologically important cyclic bis(3′→5′)diguanylic acid (cGpGp) in a higher yield than that of the existing synthetic method. In the new synthesis, the following two means, in place of those used in the existing synthesis are employed as main strategies to cause the increase in product yield. One of these distinctive strategies in the new synthesis is that the phosphoramidite method is used for the preparation of a key synthetic intermediate of a linear guanylyl(3′→5′)guanylic acid derivative. This method allowed higher-yield formation of the intermediate than that by the triester method used in the existing synthesis. The second distinctive strategy used in the new synthesis is that allyloxycarbonyl and allyl groups are used for the protection of two guanine bases and two internucleotide bonds, respectively. These four allylic protectors can be removed all at once by the organopalladium-catalyzed reaction under neutral conditions. Thus, deprotection of the protected cGpGp precursor was achieved in the present synthesis in a shorter step and under milder conditions than the deprotection achieved in the existing synthesis, which uses diphenylacetyl and o-chlorophenyl groups as protectors for two guanine bases and two internucleotide bonds, respectively, whose full removal requires two different procedures including rather harsh basic treatment. As a result, technical loss and decomposition of the target product in the new synthesis is remarkably reduced.     

First enantioselective total synthesis of glutinone and its C(7) and C(11) epimers

A facile and efficient asymmetric synthesis of glutinone 1 and its C(7) and C(11) epimers 1b–d is presented, using the Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation reaction as the key step. By comparing the spectral data of the natural product with that of the synthetic samples, we could confirm the absolute configuration of glutinone 1.     

New synthetic method for benzofurans from 2-(cyanomethyl)phenyl derivatives

A convenient and mild synthetic method of synthesizing benzofuran from various 2-(cyanomethyl)phenyl carbonyl compounds under reduced oxygen conditions is reported. Nine C-2 substituted benzofurans were synthesized at 52–89%.     

Is samoquasine A indeed benzo[f]phthalazin-4(3H)-one? Unambiguous, straightforward synthesis of benzo[f]phthalazin-4(3H)-one and its regioisomer benzo[f]phthalazin-1(2H)-one

In search for the structural elucidation of samoquasine A, a natural product isolated from the seeds of Annona squamosa L., two benzo[f]phthalazinone isomers have been synthesized. The synthetic pathway followed to build up these skeletons is based on the combination of two Suzuki reactions on a pyridazinone precursor and a ring closure reaction via a condensation reaction. ¹H NMR data of the synthesized compound allowed to establish that the structure of the natural product samoquasine A is not benzo[f]phthalazin-4(3H)-one, as previously suggested.     

Total synthesis of ningalin B utilizing a heterocyclic azadiene Diels-Alder reaction and discovery of a new class of potent multidrug resistant (MDR) reversal agents

A concise, efficient approach to the total synthesis of ningalin B (1) based on a heterocyclic azadiene Diels-Alder strategy (1,2,4,5-tetrazine-->1,2,-diazine-->pyrrole) ideally suited for construction of the densely functionalized pyrrole core found in the natural product is detailed. Examination of the natural product and a number of synthetic intermediates revealed that while lacking inherent cytotoxic activity, many reverse the multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype, resensitizing a human colon cancer cell line (HCT116/VM46) to vinblastine and doxorubicin at lower doses than the prototypical agent verapamil.     

NaZr2（PO4）3的水热晶化研究

NaZr_2(PO_4)_3是一种具有典型骨架结构的离子导体化合物。它的制备一般都采用高温固相反应的方法。这种方法反应温度高,容易产生杂晶,特别是有其它聚合态的磷酸盐生成。Clearfield等曾报道,在水热条件下从α-ZrP(Zr(HPO_4)_2·H_2O)可间接制备NaZr_2(PO_4)_3,但所得产物也不是完全的纯相。我们在水热条件下,直接晶化却得到完全纯的NaZr_2(PO_4)_3相及其单晶。