Total synthesis of (+)-lysergic acid

A stereocontrolled total synthesis of (+)-lysergic acid (1) is achieved using three metal-catalyzed methodologies for the construction of three key rings. Highlights of the synthesis include Pd-catalyzed indole synthesis to form the B ring, a RCM reaction to form the D ring, and an intramolecular Heck reaction to form the C ring.     

A Divergent Synthetic Route to the Vallesamidine and Schizozygine Alkaloids: Total Synthesis of (+)‐Vallesamidine and (+)‐14,15‐Dehydrostrempeliopine

The total synthesis of representative members of the schizozygine alkaloids, (+)‐vallesamidine and (+)‐14,15‐dehydrostrempeliopine, were completed from a late‐stage divergent intermediate. The synthesis took advantage of efficient nitro‐group reactions with the A/B/C ring skeleton constructed concisely on a gram scale through an asymmetric Michael addition, nitro‐Mannich/lactamisation, Tsuji–Trost allylation, and intramolecular C?N coupling reaction. Other key features of the synthesis are a novel [1,4] hydride transfer/Mannich‐type cyclisation to build ring E and a diastereoselective ring‐closing metathesis reaction to construct ring D. This approach gave access to a late‐stage C14,C15 alkene divergent intermediate that could be simply transformed into (+)‐vallesamidine, (+)‐14,15‐dehydrostrempeliopine, and potentially other schizozygine alkaloids and unnatural derivatives.     

Total Synthesis of (+)‐6‐epi‐Ophiobolin A

The ophiobolin sesterterpenes are notable plant pathogens which have recently elicited significant chemical and biological attention because of their intriguing carbogenic frameworks, reactive functionalities, and emerging anticancer profiles. Reported herein is a total synthesis of (+)‐6‐epi‐ophiobolin A in 14 steps, a task which addresses construction of the synthetically challenging spirocyclic tetrahydrofuran motif as well as several other key stereochemical problems. This work demonstrates a streamlined synthetic platform to complex ophiobolins leveraging disparate termination modes of a radical polycyclization cascade for divergent elaboration and functionalization.     

Total Synthesis of (+)‐MPC1001B

The first total synthesis of an epidithiodiketopiperazine alkaloid, (+)‐MPC1001B, was accomplished. This synthesis features a tetra‐n‐butylammonium fluoride mediated intramolecular aldol reaction for forming the 15‐membered macrolactone ring, and the construction of an epidithiodiketopiperazine substructure through a stepwise sulfenylation reaction involving a novel trityl trisulfide (TrSSS)‐group transfer.     

Asymmetric Total Synthesis of (+)‐Ryanodol and (+)‐Ryanodine

(+)‐Ryanodine ( 1 ) is the ester derivative of 1H‐pyrrole‐2‐carboxylic acid and the complex terpenoid (+)‐ryanodol ( 2 ), which possesses eleven contiguous stereogenic centers on the ABCDE‐ring system. Compound 1 is known to be a potent modulator of intracellular calcium release channels, whereas the activity of 2 is significantly weaker. To chemically construct 1 , the multiple oxygen functional groups must be installed on the fused pentacycle in stereoselective fashions and the extremely hindered C3‐hydroxy group must be acylated in a site‐selective manner. First, the total synthesis of 2 was accomplished by introducing the five stereocenters from the previously prepared enantiopure ABDE‐ring 7 . Stereoselective construction of the C3‐secondary, C2‐ and C6‐tertiary alcohols was achieved by three nucleophilic reactions. The C9‐ and C10‐trisubstituted carbon centers were regio‐ and stereoselectively introduced by hydroboration/oxidation of the six‐membered C‐ring, which was formed by the ring‐closing metathesis reaction. Direct esterification of the C3‐alcohol with pyrrole‐2‐carboxylic acid proved unsuccessful; therefore, we developed a new, two‐step protocol for attachment of the pyrrole moiety. The C3‐hydroxy group was first converted into the less sterically cumbersome glycine ester, which was then transformed into the pyrrole ring through condensation with 1,3‐bis(dimethylamino)allylium tetrafluoroborate. This procedure resulted in the first total synthesis of 1 .     

Diastereoselective Total Synthesis of (±)‐Schindilactone A,Part 3: The Final Phase and Completion

The final phase for the total synthesis of (±)‐schindilactone A ( 1 ) is described herein. Two independent synthetic approaches were developed that featured Pd–thiourea‐catalyzed cascade carbonylative annulation reactions to construct intermediate 3 and a RCM reaction to make intermediate 4 . Other important steps that enabled the completion of the synthesis included: 1) A Ag‐mediated ring‐expansion reaction to form vinyl bromide 17 from dibromocyclopropane 30 ; 2) a Pd‐catalyzed coupling reaction of vinyl bromide 17 with a copper enolate to synthesize ketoester 16 ; 3) a RCM reaction to generate oxabicyclononenol 10 from diene 11 ; 4) a cyclopentenone fragment in substrate 8 was constructed through a Co–thiourea‐catalyzed Pauson–Khand reaction (PKR); 5) a Dieckmann‐type condensation to successfully form the A ring of schindilactone A ( 1 ). The chemistry developed for the total synthesis of schindilactone A ( 1 ) will shed light on the synthesis of other family members of schindilactone A.     

Total Synthesis of (−)‐Pepluanol B: Conformational Control of the Eight‐Membered‐Ring System

The first total synthesis of the Euphorbia diterpenoid pepluanol B in both racemic and enantioenriched form involves 20 steps from a known bicyclic diol. This synthesis features an unprecedented bromo‐epoxidation to control the eight‐membered‐ring conformation. In addition, salient reactions for the construction of the tetracyclic backbone include a sterically challenging aldol reaction to establish the quaternary center, a ring closing metathesis (RCM) to forge the eight‐membered ring, and a diastereoselective cyclopropanation to assemble the embedded cyclopropane motif.     

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (+)‐Steenkrotin A and Determination of Its Absolute Configuration

The first enantioselective total synthesis of (+)‐steenkrotin A has been achieved in 18 steps and 4.2 % overall yield. The key features of the strategy entail a Rh‐catalyzed O?H bond insertion followed by an intramolecular carbonyl‐ene reaction, two sequential SmI₂‐mediated Ueno–Stork and ketyl–olefin cyclizations, and a cascade intramolecular aldol condensation/vinylogous retro‐aldol/aldol process with inversion of the relative configuration at the C7 position. The absolute configuration of (+)‐steenkrotin A was determined based on the stepwise construction of the stereocenters during the total synthesis.     

Asymmetric total synthesis and formal total synthesis of the antitumor sesquiterpenoid (+)-eremantholide A

[structure: see text]. A new asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-eremantholide A is reported in which a Hoveyda-Grubbs ring-closing metathesis (RCM) reaction is used to assemble the nine-membered oxonin ring, and an enolate alkylation between the 3(2H)-furanone 2 and O-triflate 3 is exploited for C(9)-C(10) bond construction. An Evans asymmetric aldol reaction and a Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation served to stereoselectively install the C(6), C(7), and C(8) stereocenters of the target structure.     

Aza‐Quaternary Scaffolds from Selective Bond Cleavage of Bridgehead‐Substituted 7‐Azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane: Total Synthesis of (+)‐Cylindricines C–E and (−)‐Lepadiformine A

A novel bridgehead‐substituted aza‐bicyclic framework has been designed and developed in both enantiomeric forms through an asymmetric desymmetrization reaction. Strategic exploitation of the ring strain in the aza‐bicyclic framework has been utilized for the construction of the chiral aza‐quaterenary scaffolds by selective bond fragmentation processes. Furthermore, a strategically designed precursor is employed for selective bond cleavage to initiate a cascade rearrangement for the total synthesis of the 1‐azaspirotricyclic marine alkaloids (+)‐cylindricines C, D, and E, as well as (?)‐lepadiformine A. An oxidation/retro‐aldol/aza‐Michael sequence generated three new chiral centers with the required configuration in one pot.     

A Shimizu Non‐Aldol Approach to the Formal Total Synthesis of Palmerolide A

A formal total synthesis of palmerolide A has been accomplished by assembling three fragments by means of successive Julia–Kocienski olefination, Yamaguchi esterification, and ring‐closing metathesis (RCM). Our initial efforts to combine the first two fragments through a Julia–Kocienski reaction between a secondary sulfone and a ketone were not successful; nevertheless, it was feasible between a primary sulfone and aldehyde. Yamaguchi esterification with the third fragment then set the stage for a RCM reaction. Initial failure of the RCM with a PMB‐ether adjacent to the olefins and the difficulty in cleaving the PMB‐ether prompted us to change the choice of protecting groups, which then paved the way to the macrocyclic core of palmerolide A.     

Total synthesis of aspercyclide C

The first total synthesis of (+)-aspercyclide C (1) is reported using a kinetically controlled RCM reaction to form the 11-membered, unsaturated lactone ring of this bioactive diaryl ether macrolide.     

Synthesis of allocolchicines using sequential ring-closing enyne metathesis-Diels-Alder reactions

New allocolchinoids having functionality in the C ring at position C10 or C11 have been synthesized using the enyne ring-closing metathesis (RCM) reaction for construction of the seven-membered ring and a Diels-Alder-aromatization sequence for the elaboration of the aromatic ring C. [reaction: see text].     

Total Synthesis of (+)‐Gracilamine Based on an Oxidative Phenolic Coupling Reaction and Determination of Its Absolute Configuration

The enantioselective total synthesis of (+)‐gracilamine ( 1 ) is described. The strategy features a diastereoselective phenolic coupling reaction followed by a regioselective intramolecular aza‐Michael reaction to construct the ABCE ring system. The configuration at C3a in 1 was controlled by the stereocenter at C9a, which was selectively generated (91 % ee) by an organocatalytic enantioselective aza‐Friedel–Crafts reaction developed by our research group. This synthesis revealed that the absolute configuration of (+)‐gracilamine is 3aR, 4S, 5S, 6R, 7aS, 8R, 9aS.     

Total Syntheses of (+)‐Aquatolide and Related Humulanolides

The short, efficient total synthesis of (+)‐aquatolide was achieved by a biomimetic transannular [2+2] photocycloaddition, and provides the first example of constructing a 5/5/4/8‐ring system from asteriscunolides. Furthermore, the reaction leading to a 5/4/4/7‐ring system, the originally proposed structure of aquatolide, was also developed. This strategy achieved syntheses of five more humulanolides, (?)‐asteriscunolides A, C, D, and I, and (+)‐tetradehydroasteriscanolide.     

An RCM‐Based Total Synthesis of the Antibiotic Disciformycin B

The total synthesis of the potent new antibiotic disciformycin B ( 2 ) is described, which shows significant activity against methicillin‐ and vancomycin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA/VRSA) strains. The synthetic route is based on macrocyclization of a tetraene substrate to the 12‐membered macrolactone core by ring‐closing olefin metathesis (RCM). Although macrocyclization was accompanied by concomitant cyclopentene formation by an alternative RCM pathway, conditions were established to give the macrocycle as the major product. Key steps in the construction of the RCM substrate include a highly efficient Evans syn‐aldol reaction, the asymmetric Brown allylation of angelic aldehyde, and the stereoselective Zn(BH₄)₂‐mediated 1,2‐reduction of an enone. The synthesis was completed by late‐stage dehydrative glycosylation to introduce the d ‐arabinofuranosyl moiety and final chemoselective allylic alcohol oxidation.     

Carbohydrate‐Based Studies Toward the Synthesis of Hamigeromycin E: A Stereoselective Total Synthesis of an Isomer of Zeaenol

A stereoselective synthesis of 14‐membered macrolide hamigeromycin E ( 6 ) has been studied by employing ortho‐lithiated formylation, Barbier allylation, Julia–Kocienski olefination, Mitsunobu esterification, and ring‐closing metathesis (RCM) reactions. The final RCM reaction did not provide the target molecule. This study has prompted us to synthesize a stereoisomer of zeaenol and accomplish the total synthesis with the above protocols.     

Total Synthesis and Complete Stereostructure of a Marine Macrolide Glycoside, (−)‐Lyngbyaloside B

We have described in detail the total synthesis of both the proposed and correct structures of (?)‐lyngbyaloside B, which facilitated the elucidation of the complete stereostructure of this natural product. Our study began with the total synthesis of 13‐demethyllyngbyaloside B, in which an esterification/ring‐closing metathesis (RCM) strategy was successfully used for the efficient construction of the macrocycle. We also established reliable methods for the introduction of the conjugated diene side chain and the l ‐rhamnose residue onto the macrocyclic framework. However, the esterification/RCM strategy proved ineffective for the parent natural product because of the difficulties in acylating the sterically encumbered C‐13 tertiary alcohol; macrolactionization of a seco‐acid was also extensively investigated under various conditions without success. We finally completed the total synthesis of the proposed structure of (?)‐lyngbyaloside B by means of a macrolactonization that involves an acyl ketene as the reactive species. However, the NMR spectroscopic data of our synthetic material did not match those of the authentic material, which indicated that the proposed structure must be re‐examined. Inspection of the NMR spectroscopic data of the natural product and molecular mechanics calculations led us to postulate that the configuration of the C‐10, C‐11, and C‐13 stereogenic centers had been incorrectly assigned in the proposed structure. Finally, our revised structure of (?)‐lyngbyaloside B was unambiguously verified through total synthesis.     

Total Synthesis of (−)‐Cleistenolide

An efficient and short total synthesis of (?)‐cleistenolide ( 1 ) from D ‐mannitol with an overall yield of 23.6% is described. The chiron approach for the synthesis of (?)‐cleistenolide involves a one‐C‐atom Wittig olefination, a selective allylic triethylsilyl protection, and a Grubbs‐catalyzed ring‐closure‐metathesis (RCM) reaction as the key steps.     

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (+)‐Plumisclerin A

The first and enantioselective total synthesis of (+)‐plumisclerin A, a novel unique complex cytotoxic marine diterpenoid, has been accomplished. Around the central cyclopentane anchorage, a sequential ring‐formation protocol was adopted to generate the characteristic tricycle[4.3.1.0^1,5]decane and trans‐fused dihyrdopyran moiety. Scalable enantioselective La^III‐catalyzed Michael reaction, palladium(0)‐catalyzed carbonylation and SmI₂‐mediated radical conjugate addition were successfully applied in the synthesis, affording multiple grams of the complex and rigid B/C/D‐ring system having six continuous stereogenic centers and two all‐carbon quaternary centers. The trans‐fused dihyrdopyran moiety with an exo side‐chain was furnished in final stage through sequential redox transformations from a lactone precursor, which overcome the largish steric strain of the dense multiring system. The reported total synthesis also confirms the absolute chemistries of natural (+)‐plumisclerin A.