General approach for the synthesis of sarpagine indole alkaloids. Enantiospecific total synthesis of (+)-vellosimine, (+)-normacusine B, (-)-alkaloid Q3, (-)-panarine, (+)-Na-methylvellosimine, and (+)-Na-methyl-16-epipericyclivine

The first total synthesis of (+)-Na-methyl-16-epipericyclivine (9) was completed [from d-(+)-tryptophan methyl ester] in an overall yield of 42% (eight reaction vessels). The optical rotation [[alpha]D +22.8 (c 0.50, CHCl3)] obtained on this material confirmed that the reported optical rotation [[alpha]D 0 (c 0.50, CHCl3)]47 was biogenetically unreasonable. The total syntheses of (+)-vellosimine, (+)-normacusine B, (-)-alkaloid Q3, (-)-panarine, and (+)-Na-methylvellosimine are also described. Moreover, a mixed sample (1:1) of synthetic (-)-panarine and natural (-)-panarine yielded only one set of signals in the 13C NMR; this indicated that the two compounds are identical and further confirmed the correct configuration of (+)-vellosimine, (+)-normacusine B, and (-)-alkaloid Q3. In this approach, the key templates, (-)-Na-H,Nb-benzyltetracyclic ketone 15a and (-)-Na-methyl,Nb-benzyltetracyclic ketone 43 were synthesized on multihundred gram scale by the asymmetric Pictet-Spengler reaction and a stereocontrolled Dieckmann cyclization via improved sequences. An intramolecular palladium (enolate-mediated) coupling reaction was employed to introduce the C(19)-C(20) E-ethylidene function in the sarpagine alkaloids for the first time in stereospecific fashion.     

Determination of the absolute structure of (+)-akaterpin

We describe the total synthesis and structural determination of (+)-akaterpin (1), an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC). The key features of the synthetic strategy include the resolution of β,γ-unsaturated ketone (±)-2a with chiral sulfoximine 6. The absolute stereochemistry was determined by comparison of the specific optical rotation data of (+)-1 and (-)-1 with that of natural akaterpin.     

Synthesis and structural reassignment of (+)-epicalyxin F

We have established the structure of (+)-epicalyxin F through chemical synthesis. An acid-promoted rearrangement of synthetic benzopyran 6 led to the identification of the natural product as (3S,5S,7R)-epicalyxin F (22). Comparison with NMR spectra and optical rotation of the natural product confirms our assignment, and the reassigned structure is compatible with the proposed biosynthetic pathway.     

Synthesis of (+)-galiellalactone. Absolute configuration of galiellalactone

[reaction: see text]. (+)-Galiellalactone was synthesized starting from (R)-(+)-pulegone. Natural and synthetic galiellalactone have opposite optical rotations, demonstrating that the structure of the natural product is 1a.     

Synthesis of both enantiomers of akolactone B and (+)-ancepsenolide

The syntheses of (+)- and (−)-akolactone B and (+)-ancepsenolide were accomplished using a Pd-catalyzed carbonylation. As to the absolute configuration of akolactone B, making a comparison of the specific rotation of both enantiomers of synthetic akolactone B and the natural compound suggests that the absolute configuration at the 4-position of akolactone B is (R).     

Total synthesis of the marine sponge metabolites (+)-rottnestol, (+)-raspailol A and (+)-raspailol B

The asymmetric syntheses of (+)-rottnestol (1) and the related marine sponge metabolites (+)-raspailols A (5) and B (6) are described. The key step in each of these sequences was a Stille coupling to form the C9-C10 sp2-sp2 bond and connect the polyene sidechains to the appropriate optically active tetrahydropyran core. For rottnestol (1), both C12 epimers were synthesised by a coupling between stannane 7 and (R)- or (S)-8 followed by acid hydrolysis which allowed for the assignment of the absolute configuration at the remote C12 stereocentre as R upon comparison of chiroptical data of the synthetic material with that reported for the natural product. In accord with this, (12R)-raspailol A (5) was synthesised from stannane 7 and sidechain 9 and this compound also compared well with the data for natural material including sign and absolute value of the specific rotation. Finally, the same C12 epimer of raspailol B (6) was secured via a union between stannane 10 and iodide 9 and this also possessed a similar rotation to that described for the natural product. Thus, all three compounds appear to possess the (12R) configuration, while that of the core tetrahydropyran ring is the same as proposed originally.     

Highly efficient total synthesis of the marine natural products (+)-avarone, (+)-avarol, (-)-neoavarone, (-)-neoavarol and (+)-aureol

Biologically important and structurally unique marine natural products avarone (1), avarol (2), neoavarone (3), neoavarol (4) and aureol (5), were efficiently synthesized in a unified manner starting from (+)-5-methyl-Wieland-Miescher ketone 10. The synthesis involved the following crucial steps: i) Sequential BF(3)Et(2)O-induced rearrangement/cyclization reaction of 2 and 4 to produce 5 with complete stereoselectivity in high yield (2 --> 5 and 4 --> 5); ii) strategic salcomine oxidation of the phenolic compounds 6 and 8 to derive the corresponding quinones 1 and 3 (6 --> 1 and 8 --> 3); and iii) Birch reductive alkylation of 10 with bromide 11 to construct the requisite carbon framework 12 (10 + 11 --> 12). An in vitro cytotoxicity assay of compounds 1-5 against human histiocytic lymphoma cells U937 determined the order of cytotoxic potency (3 > 1 > 5 > 2 > 4) and some novel aspects of structure-activity relationships.     

(+)-Cannabispirenone-A: Synthesis and Absolute Configuration

An efficient asymmetric synthesis of cannabispirenone-A (la) has been accomplished. The absolute configuration of the (+)-(la) is assigned as R. The magnitude of rotation calls the optical purity of the natural product into question.     

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.     

Synthetic and isolation studies related to the marine natural products (+)-elisabethadione and (+)-elisabethamine

These studies were conducted to determine the discrepancies between the spectroscopic data of the isolated and synthetic samples of the marine natural product (+)-elisabethadione. Attempts at the re-isolation of (+)-elisabethadione from Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae were unsuccessful, but during these efforts, two related natural products of O-methylelisabethadione (8) and O-methyl-nor-elisabethadione (9) were discovered. The total syntheses of these new natural products were accomplished by using the combined C-H activation/Cope rearrangement as the key step and the previously synthesized elisabethadione was converted to O-methylelisabethadione. These studies confirmed that the synthetic sample of (+)-elisabthadione was assigned the correct structure. The considerable differences in the data between the synthetic and natural samples of (+)-elisabethadione lead to the conclusion that the structure of the natural material was either miss-assigned or the published spectral data were incorrect. During the course of these studies, questions arose about the assigned structure of another natural product, elisabethamine, which was proposed to be an aminohydroquinone. Attempts at the synthesis of this compound revealed that the aminohydroquinone structure was unstable in air as it was readily oxidized to the quinone.     

Asymmetric synthesis of (−)- and (+)-neodichroine/hydrachine A from (+)- and (−)-febrifugine

A new asymmetric approach to both enantiomers of the quinazolinone-containing natural product febrifugine is reported. Utilising a proline-mediated aminooxylation-Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons sequence provides the key optically active 2,3-disubstituted piperidine intermediate 7 in high enantioselectivity but poor overall yield (7 steps, 3%, 98% ee). This intermediate has been used to prepare both naturally occurring (+)-febrifugine (1) and its (?)-enantiomer. In turn, each were then used to synthesise, for the first time, both enantiomers of the claimed natural product neodichroine/hydrachine A. Spectroscopic data for the synthetic compound matched the claimed structure. However, the specific rotation differed in both magnitude and sign from the isolation work.     

Enantioselective synthesis of the bisabolane sesquiterpene (+)-1-hydroxy-1,3,5-bisabolatrien-10-one and revision of its absolute configuration

The enantioselective synthesis of (S)-1-hydroxy-1,3,5-bisabolatrien-10-one 1 is here described. This sesquiterpene was prepared using (S)-3-(2-methoxy-4-methyl-phenyl)butan-1-ol as a chiral building block. Two different pathways were employed and both turned out to be high yielding, affording 1 in good chemical purity and without any racemization of the existing stereocenter. The spectroscopic data of the synthetic (S)-1 were in very good agreement with those reported for the natural compound, which was extracted from Juniperus formosana heartwood and from the leaves of J. chinensis. The positive sign of the measured optical rotation value of synthetic (S)-1 allows the unambiguous assignment of the absolute configuration of (+)-1 as the (S)-enantiomer. This finding corrects the previous configuration determination which indicated the opposite result. At last, since even (R)-3-(2-methoxy-4-methyl-phenyl)butan-1-ol is preparable in high enantiomer purity by mean of a different biocatalytic process, the formal synthesis of natural (R)-1 was also accomplished.     

Use of the oxazole-olefin diels-alder reaction in the total synthesis of the monoterpene alkaloids (-)-plectrodorine and (+)-oxerine

A full account of the total synthesis of two monoterpene alkaloids, (-)-plectrodorine [(-)-1] and (+)-oxerine [(+)-3], is presented. The key steps involved are the formation of the oxazole alcohol 10 from the gamma-butyrolactone 9 and the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of the oxazole-olefins 13a, b. Since the sign of specific rotation for the synthetic (+)-3 was different from that reported for natural oxerine, the absolute configuration of this alkaloid is not yet fully understood.     

Ab initio calculation of optical rotation in (P)-(+)-[4]triangulane

Optical rotation, the angle through which plane-polarized light rotates when passed through an enantiomerically pure medium, plays a vital role in the determination of the absolute configurations of chiral molecules such as natural products. We describe new quantum mechanical methodology designed to assist in this endeavor by providing high-accuracy computational optical rotatory dispersion data for matching to experimental results. Comparison between theory and experiment for the rigid, helical molecule trispiro[2.0.0.2.1.1]nonane [also known as (P)-(+)-[4]triangulane], recently synthesized with enantiomeric purity, shows that the coupled cluster quantum chemical model provides superb agreement for optical rotation across a wide range of wavelengths (589-365 nm), with errors averaging only 1%.     

A nature-inspired concise synthesis of (+)-ent-chromazonarol

A large number of sesquiterpene quinone/hydroquinone natural products including(+)-ent-chromazonarol have been isolated and received great attention from the synthetic community.Herein,we report a nature-inspired concise synthesis of(+)-ent-chromazonarol in 4 steps from a readily available starting material.The synthesis relied on a Lewis acid mediated cyclization which correctly installed two vicinal stereocenters in one step.This highly efficient synthetic route allows us to further prepare natural product congeners for further biological studies.     

Antineoplastic agents. 450. Synthesis of (+)-pancratistatin from (+)-narciclasine as relay(1a)

(+)-Narciclasine (2) available in quantity from certain Amaryllidaceae species or by total synthesis was employed as a precursor for a 10-step synthetic conversion (3.6% overall yield) to natural (+)-pancratistatin (1a). The key procedures involved epoxidation of natural (+)-narciclasine (2) to epoxide 6, reduction to diol 8, and formation of cyclic sulfate 12 and its ring opening with cesium benzoate followed by saponification of the benzoate to afford (+)-pancratistatin (1a).     

A new access to cyclopenta[c]pyridine ring system: syntheses of (−)-plectrodorine and (+)-oxerine

Total syntheses of (−)-plectrodorine [(−)-1] and (+)-oxerine [(+)-3] possessing the cyclopenta[c]pyridine ring system have been accomplished through a route starting from the chiral γ-butyrolactone 7 and exploiting the intramolecular oxazole–olefin Diels–Alder reaction. The sign of specific rotation for the synthetic (+)-3 was in disagreement with that reported for natural oxerine, leaving the absolute configuration of this monoterpene alkaloid incomplete.     

Asymmetric total syntheses of (+)-cheimonophyllon e and (+)-cheimonophyllal

The highly enantiocontrolled total syntheses of natural (+)-cheimonophyllon E (5) and (+)-cheimonophyllal (6), biologically intriguing oxygenated bisabolane-type sesquiterpenoids, have been completed. The present synthetic strategy featured the use of an asymmetric aldol-type reaction for preparing in the first synthetic step an optically active 6-C-substituted 3-methyl-2-cyclohexenone derivative. Thus, a Mukaiyama aldol reaction of 1-methyl-3-silyloxy-1,3-cyclohexadiene 31 with alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde 11 in the presence of a chiral (acyloxy)borane (CAB)-type Yamamoto catalyst 33 proceeded with high levels of both diastereo- and enantioselectivities. The predominant aldol adduct, syn-9, was transformed into gamma,delta-epoxy allylic alcohol 8 by a nine-step sequence, including the substrate-controlled 1,2-reduction of enone, syn-12, also the epoxidation of allylic alcohol 15. Epoxy-alcohol 8 underwent 5-exo-cyclization in a high regioselective manner under acidic conditions to produce a bicyclic key intermediate (+)-7, which was eventually efficiently converted to (+)-cheimonophyllon E (5) or (+)-cheimonophyllal (6).     

Total Synthesis of the Proposed Structure of (+)-Tolyporphin A O,O-Diacetate

Four monocyclic precursors were assembled in the total synthesis of the proposed structure 1 - A of (+)-tolyporphin A O,O-diacetate (X=Ac). Comparison of the spectroscopic data demonstrated that synthetic tolyporphin O,O-diacetate did not match the O,O-diacetate prepared from natural (+)-tolyporphin A (X=H), calling for a structural revision of this class of natural products. On the basis of a series of NMR experiments including synthetic intermediates, the structure of tolyporphin A is concluded to be 1 - B , in which the configurations of quaternary centers C7 and C17 are opposite to those in the originally proposed structure.     

Enantioselective formal synthesis of antitumor agent (+)-ottelione A

The enantioselective formal synthesis of a natural antitumor product, (+)-ottelione A, was achieved through a catalytic enantioselective Diels-Alder strategy. These endeavors have led to the synthesis of a variety of synthetic analogues of this biologically potent natural product.