Synthesis of the ABC ring system of Jiadifenin via Pd-catalyzed cyclizations

An efficient route toward the central ABC system of jiadifenin has been developed using two key Pd-catalyzed cyclizations. A protic solvent-activated Mizoroki-Heck reaction was used to construct the C(9) quaternary carbon and the A ring. A cascading Tsuji-Trost cyclization/lactonization sequence was employed to establish the BC ring system and the C(5,6) stereochemistry.     

Total synthesis of (+)-erogorgiaene using lithiation-borylation methodology, and stereoselective synthesis of each of its diastereoisomers

A short (8 steps) synthesis of (+)-erogorgiaene in 44% overall yield from p-methylacetophenone is described. Key steps include lithiation/borylation-protodeboronation to build up the molecule and control the stereochemistry at C1 and C4. The C11 stereochemistry was similarly set up by using lithiation/borylation methodology. The use of a mixed, unhindered borane in the lithiation/borylation reaction proved critical to success in the reaction of the tetralone-derived carbamate to control the C4 stereochemistry. The power of the reagent controlled methodology is illustrated in the stereocontrolled synthesis of all of the diastereomers of (+)-erogorgiaene.     

Total synthesis of the epidermal growth factor inhibitor (-)-reveromycin B

The total synthesis of the epidermal growth factor inhibitor reveromycin B (2) in 25 linear steps from chiral methylene pyran 13 is described. The key steps involved an inverse electron demand hetero-Diels-Alder reaction between dienophile 13 and diene 12 to construct the 6,6-spiroketal 11 which upon oxidation with dimethyldioxirane and acid catalyzed rearrangement gave the 5,6-spiroketal aldehyde 9. Lithium acetylide addition followed by oxidation/reduction and protective group manipulation provided the reveromycin B spiroketal core 8 which was converted into the reveromycin A (1) derivative 6 in order to confirm the stereochemistry of the spiroketal segment. Introduction of the C1-C10 side chain began with sequential Wittig reactions to form the C8-C9 and C7-C6 bonds, and a tin mediated asymmetric aldol reaction installed the C4 and C5 stereocenters. The final key steps to the target molecule 2 involved a Stille coupling to introduce the C21-C22 bond, succinoylation, selective deprotection, oxidation, and Wittig condensation to form the final C2-C3 bond. Deprotection was effected by TBAF in DMF to afford reveromycin B (2) in 72% yield.     

Total synthesis of ustiloxin D and considerations on the origin of selectivity of the asymmetric allylic alkylation

As part of investigations into cell cycle checkpoint inhibitors, an asymmetric synthesis of the antimitotic natural product, ustiloxin D, has been completed. A salen-Al-catalyzed aldol reaction was employed to construct a chiral oxazoline 9 (99% yield, 98% ee) that served the dual purpose of installing the necessary 1,2-amino alcohol functionality as well as providing an efficient synthon for the requisite methylamino group at C9. The chiral aryl-alkyl ether was assembled using a Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation that notably delivered a product with stereochemistry opposite to that predicted by precedent. The linear tetrapeptide was subsequently cyclized to produce ustiloxin D. The mechanistic origin of the allylic alkylation selectivity was further investigated, and a working hypothesis for the origin of the observed stereoselectivity has been proposed.     

Influence of ring fusion stereochemistry on the stereochemical outcome in photo-induced Diels–Alder reaction of fused bicycloheptenone derivatives

Photo-isomerization of cis-cycloheptenone fused to a ring with a defined stereochemistry at the ring fusion to its trans-stereoisomer and in situ Diels–Alder reaction with cyclic and acyclic dienes have been investigated. The reaction was found to proceed through one of the two possible isomerized trans-enones that produce the thermodynamically more stable adduct with a trans-fused seven-membered ring system. This protocol has been employed to construct a tetracycle with trans-fused 6-7 ring system, the core structure present in several terpenes. The observed selectivity has been supported by computational method.     

Kulokekahilide-1, a cytotoxic depsipeptide from the cephalaspidean mollusk Philinopsis speciosa

The cytotoxic depsipeptide kulokekahilide-1, which contains two unusual amino acids, 4-phenylvaline and 3-amino-2-methylhexanoic acid, was isolated from the cephalaspidean mollusk Philinopsis speciosa. Structure elucidation of kulokekahilide-1 was carried out by spectroscopic analysis and chemical degradation. The absolute stereochemistry was determined by Marfey analysis for amino acids and chiral HPLC analysis for hydroxy acids. All four stereoisomers of 4-phenylvaline and 3-amino-2-methylhexanoic acid, which were necessary for Marfey analysis, were synthesized by use of the Heck reaction and Evans's method, respectively. Kulokekahilide-1 showed cytotoxicity against P388 murine leukemia cells with an IC(50) value of 2.1 microg/mL.     

Synthesis of (-)-stemoamide using a stereoselective anti-aldol step

The synthesis of (-)-stemoamide was achieved in 11 steps from 5-acetoxy-N-crotyl pyrrolidinone. A chiral N-acyl thiazolidinethione was employed in a stereoselective addition to a cyclic N-acyl iminium ion to install the required stereochemistry of carbon C9a. This iminium ion addition product was employed in a stereoselective MgBr2-catalyzed anti-aldol reaction to install the required stereochemistry of carbons C8 and C9. The X-ray crystal analysis of (-)-stemoamide confirmed the structure and the stereochemical outcome of these selective reactions.     

Total synthesis 2-epi-α-cedren-3-one via a cobalt-catalysed Pauson-Khand reaction

Herein we target the total synthesis of 2-epi-α-cedren-3-one, a natural compound isolated from the essential oil of Juniperus thurifera. Overall, our synthetic sequence presents an optimised and robust series of chemical transformations, with prominent features including a low temperature and highly (Z)-selective Wittig olefination reaction, which is vital for the establishment of the relative stereochemistry within the final natural product, and a microwave-assisted, catalytic, intramolecular Pauson-Khand cyclisation reaction, which is used to construct the intriguing tricyclic core of the target molecule. Our optimum cyclisation protocol utilises only 20?mol% of transition metal, and delivers the complex tricyclic structure in just 10?min. Further manipulations of the annulation product culminate in the first total synthesis of the described natural target.     

3 + 2] Annulation of allylic silanes in acyclic stereocontrol: total synthesis of (9S)-dihydroerythronolide A

The [3 + 2] annulation reactions of allylic silanes can be utilized to achieve acyclic stereocontrol. This method was employed as a key step in an enantioselective total synthesis of (9S)-dihydroerythronolide A. The key annulation reaction served to establish most of the stereochemistry of the target, including the two tetrasubstituted carbon stereocenters. The symmetry of the target molecule allowed it to be disconnected into two equally sized fragments, both of which were generated from the same annulation reaction. The two fragments were coupled using a tin(II)-mediated chelation-controlled aldol reaction of an alpha-benzyloxy ethyl ketone. This convergent total synthesis of (9S)-dihydroerythronolide A was accomplished with the longest linear sequence of 29 steps and in 5.4% overall yield.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of the antitumor macrolide rhizoxin D

The convergent, highly enantioselective synthesis of rhizoxin D, a natural product possessing potent antitumor and antifungal bioactivity, is described. The C(1)-C(9) fragment of the molecule was synthesized utilizing a threefold pseudosymmetric intermediate ultimately derived from gamma-butyrolactone. The central core of rhizoxin D was prepared via a chiral resolution/asymmetric aldol protocol. Several methods for the generation of the polyene fragment were explored, and the side-chain was ultimately prepared from serine in six steps. The unification of the left and right wings of the molecule was achieved using a one-step olefination protocol, and the macrocyclization was carried out using a Horner-Emmons olefination at the C(2)-C(3) olefin.     

Synthesis and confirmation of the absolute stereochemistry of the (-)-aflastatin A C9-C27 degradation polyol

[reaction: see text]. The C(8)-C(18) ethyl ketone and C(19)-C(28) aldehyde aflastatin A fragments were synthesized and coupled using a diastereoselective anti aldol reaction. This adduct was successfully converted into the C(9)-C(27) polyol degradation product of (-)-aflastatin A to confirm the relative and absolute stereochemistry of this region of the natural product.     

The synthesis of (-)-isodomoic acid C

The neuroactive algal metabolite (-)-isodomoic acid C, a kainoid amino acid, has been synthesized for the first time. Asymmetric dearomatizing cyclization of an aromatic amide using a chiral lithium amide base generates a bicyclic enone containing a pyrrolidinone ring with the relative and absolute stereochemistry of the target. A further 15 synthetic steps, including conjugate cuprate addition to the enone of a side chain precursor, a Ru-promoted oxidation of the phenyl ring to the C2-carboxylic acid substituent, a regioselective Baeyer-Villiger reaction, and an E-selective Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction, elaborate the cyclization product into the target molecule.     

Total Synthesis of (+)-Sinefungin

Sinefungin (1) a nucleoside antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces has been synthesized from D-ribose. Both the C-6 and C-9 stereogenic centers were constructed by efficient asymmetric syntheses. The C-6 amine stereochemistry was set by a highly diastereoselective allylation (>99% de) of a (1S,2R)-1-amino-2-indanol-derived oxazolidinone 9 followed by a Curtius rearrangement of 11 to 12. The C-9 amino acid stereochemistry of sinefungin (1) was established by a rhodium chiral bisphosphine-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of an alpha-(acylamino)acrylate derivative. The anomeric adenosylation of the mixture of anomeric acetates 20 in the presence of C-6 urethane NH was found to be extremely difficult. Conversion of the C-6 urethane NH as its N-benzyl derivative 21 was necessary prior to the adenosylation reaction. Successful adenosylation was effectively carried out by Vorbrüggen's protocol utilizing persilylated N(6)-benzoyladenine and trimethylsilyl triflate.     

Crotylsilane reagents in the synthesis of complex polyketide natural products: total synthesis of (+)-discodermolide

An efficient, highly convergent stereocontrolled synthesis of (+)-discodermolide has been achieved with 2.1% overall yield (27 steps longest linear sequence). The absolute stereochemistry of the C1-C6 (12), C7-C14 (13), and C15-C24 (11) subunits was introduced using asymmetric crotylation methodology. Key elements of the synthesis include the use of hydrozirconation-cross-coupling methodology for the construction of C13-C14 (Z)-olefin, acetate aldol reaction to construct the C6-C7 bond and install the C7 stereocenter with high levels of 1,5-anti stereoinduction, and the use of palladium-mediated sp(2)-sp(3) cross-coupling reaction to join the advanced fragments, which assembled the carbon framework of discodermolide.     

A concise total synthesis of arizonins B1 and C1

A concise and efficient total synthesis of arizonins B1 and C1 is reported. A key building block alkyne is synthesized from d-glucono-δ-lactone and used in the Dötz benzannulation reaction to construct the naphthalene unit. An oxa-Pictet–Spengler reaction gave the pyran ring while an H₂SO₄ mediated isomerization set the correct stereochemistry of the target molecules. Alternatively, a direct anti-pyran stereochemistry was prepared in a TFA solvent. The synthesis is competitive to previous reports and marks the first enantioselective synthesis of arizonin B1.     

The first total synthesis and reassignment of the relative stereochemistry of 16-hydroxy-16,22-dihydroapparicine

We report the first total synthesis and reassignment of the relative stereochemistry of naturally occurring 16-hydroxy-16,22-dihydroapparicine. Our novel route proceeds by a cascade reaction to efficiently construct a 1-azabicyclo[4.2.2]decane core, along with two stereocenters (C-15 and C-16). The C-16 quaternary carbon was constructed through stereospecific 1,2-addition using an indole nucleophile to an aldehyde or a methylketone. The stereospecific synthesis of two diastereomers of the target product has revealed the true relative stereochemistry of the natural compound.     

Synthetic studies on quinine: quinuclidine construction via a ketone enolate regio- and diastereoselective Pd-mediated allylic alkylation

7-Hydroxy-quinine was synthesized by an asymmetric aldol reaction that establishes the C8 and C9 stereochemistry, followed by construction of the 3-vinyl-quinuclidine azabicyclo[2.2.2]octane by C3-C4 ring closure using an intramolecular palladium-mediated allylic alkylation with excellent regio- and diastereoselectivity. This is the first report of a ketone-enolate-stereocontrolled allylic alkylation mediated by palladium. The title compound and a dehydro-quinine analogue were evaluated for antimalarial activity.     

Total synthesis of pancratistatin relying on the [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement

A new total synthesis of the antitumor alkaloid, pancratistatin (1), has been accomplished from readily available starting materials. Claisen rearrangement of the racemic dihydropyranethylene 17 was employed to construct the A and C rings with the appropriate stereochemistry. In addition, the Ireland-Claisen rearrangement of the enantiomerically pure 9 followed by ring-closing metathesis provided the important intermediate 24, thus implying that our approach could yield the enantioselective synthesis of (+)-pancratistatin. With the appropriately functionalized cyclohexene 24, stereo- and regiocontrolled functional group interchanges, such as iodolactonization, dihydroxylations, and a cyclic sulfate elimination reaction, facilitated the production of the target natural product.     

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (−)‐Hosieine A

The first total synthesis of (?)‐hosieine A was accomplished and features an unprecedented nitroso–ene cyclization to construct the 2‐azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane ring system. Phosphine‐enabled stereoselective bromohydrination provided interesting mechanistic insights into the anti‐Markovnikov process. Also noteworthy is the retention of stereochemistry at C9 in the facile radical debromination initiated by Et₃B/air.