Synthesis of (−)-hygrine, (−)-norhygrine, (−)-pseudohygroline and (−)-hygroline via Nef reaction

Synthesis of tropane alkaloids (−)-hygrine, (−)-norhygrine and sedum alkaloids (−)-pseudohygroline and (−)-hygroline is described from l-proline via Henry and Nef reactions.     

Total synthesis of (−)-incarvilline and (−)-incarvillateine

An enantioselective, concise total synthesis of (−)-incarvilline and (−)-incarvillateine has been achieved in longest linear 9 steps (24.3% overall yield) and in 11 steps (16.5% overall yield) from (−)-carvone, respectively. The present synthesis features a notable Favorskii rearrangement of the O-protected chlorohydrin derivative of (−)-carvone to construct four of the five contiguous stereocenters on the bicyclic piperidine moiety and DMAP-catalyzed esterification of incarvilline with α-truxillic acid anhydride to generate incarvillateine skeleton.     

Asymmetric syntheses of (−)-isoretronecanol and (−)-trachelantamidine

Short and concise total asymmetric syntheses of (−)-isoretronecanol and (−)-trachelantamidine are reported. Oxidative cleavage of tert-butyl (S,S,S,Z)-7-[N-benzyl-N-(α-methylbenzyl)amino]cyclohept-3-ene-1-carboxylate, followed by hydrogenolysis promoted in situ cyclisation/reduction, which provided rapid access to the bicyclic core within (−)-isoretronecanol. Analogous treatment of the C(1)-epimer gave (−)-trachelantamidine. Overall, the syntheses of (−)-isoretronecanol and (−)-trachelantamidine were completed in eight and seven steps and 20 and 9.5% yield, respectively, from commercially available starting materials.     

Syntheses of (−)-hygrine and (−)-norhygrine via Wacker oxidation

Hygrine is an important biosynthetic intermediate for tropane alkaloids. A synthesis of (−)-hygrine starting from l-proline is described. The acetonyl side chain of hygrine was fashioned through the Wittig reaction followed by regioselective Wacker oxidation. In addition, this Letter provides the first synthesis of (−)-norhygrine.     

Total synthesis of (−)-physovenine from (−)-3a-hydroxyfuroindoline

Total synthesis of calabar bean alkaloid (−)-physovenine (−)-3 has been achieved in a concise manner starting from optically active (−)-3a-hydroxyfuroindoline (−)-2, synthesized via modified Sharpless epoxidation of tryptophol 1. Our strategy involved a stereospecific radical substitution reaction and regioselective oxidation at the C5 position.     

Synthesis and absolute configuration of (−)-chettaphanin I and (−)-chettaphanin II

An efficient synthesis of chettaphanin I and II has been achieved from ent-halimic acid. The absolute configuration of the natural products was established by nOe experiment and by X-ray analysis of chettaphanin II.     

Titanocene (III) chloride mediated radical induced synthesis of (−)-methylenolactocin and (−)-protolichesterinic acid

Enantioselective synthesis of two anti-tumor antibiotics, (−)-methylenolactocin and (−)-protolichesterinic acid, has been achieved through titanocene(III) chloride mediated radical cyclization reaction starting from commercially available d-mannitol. Titanocene(III) chloride (Cp₂TiCl) was prepared in situ from commercially available titanocene dichloride (Cp₂TiCl₂) and zinc dust in THF.     

A common approach to pyrrolizidine and indolizidine alkaloids; formal synthesis of (−)-isoretronecanol, (−)-trachelanthamidine and an approach to the synthesis of (−)-5-epitashiromine and (−)-tashiromine

A common and short stereoselective route is described for the formal synthesis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, (−)-isoretronecanol and (−)-trachelanthamidine. An approach to the synthesis of indolizidine alkaloids (−)-5-epitashiromine and (−)-tashiromine utilizing ring closing metathesis is also described starting from commercially available and inexpensive l-proline.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (−)-microcarpalide

A stereoselective approach for the synthesis of the bio-active decanolactone (−)-microcarpalide was achieved from chiral pool tartaric acid. The synthesis of pivotal intermediates en route to the decanolactone was achieved from α-benzyloxy aldehydes derived from l- and d-tartaric acid.     

Synthesis and stereochemistry of (−)-rosiridol and (−)-rosiridin

The plant-derived monoterpenoids (−)-rosiridol and (−)-rosiridin can be assembled in an enantioselective manner via DIP-Cl reduction of a ketone precursor obtained by BCl₃-mediated C-C coupling of prenyl stannane and an α,β-unsaturated C₅ aldehyde. On the basis of Mosher analyses, the absolute stereochemistry 4S was assigned to (−)-rosiridol; this was confirmed by X-ray structure analysis of pentaacetylrosiridin. Glucosylation of (4S)-4-acetoxygeraniol proceeds under Koenigs-Knorr conditions in diethyl ether. (−)-Rosiridin was synthesized for the first time.     

The enantioselective synthesis of poison-frog alkaloids (−)-203A, (−)-209B, (−)-231C, (−)-233D, and (−)-235B″

The enantioselective synthesis of indolizidines (−)-203A, (−)-209B, (−)-231C, (−)-233D, and (−)-235B″ has been achieved and the absolute stereochemistry of both indolizidines 203A and 233D was established as 5S,8R,9S. The relative stereochemistry of natural 231C was established by the present asymmetric synthesis.     

Total synthesis of (−)-cleistenolide

The total synthesis of (−)-cleistenolide, a novel natural product recently isolated from the annonaceae species cleistochlamys kirkii oliver, is described. The synthesis proceeds starting from easily accessible d-manitol using a selective benzoylation, a selective acetonide deprotection, silylprotection and ring-closing metathesis reaction.     

Enantioselective divergent approaches to both (−)-platensimycin and (−)-platencin

Enantioselective divergent approaches to (−)-platencin and (−)-platensimycin have been developed. A rationally designed chiral synthetic intermediate, possessing a useful α,β-unsaturated sulfone functionality, which served as a masked ketone as well as a good Michael acceptor, was successfully prepared via the highly enantioselective catalytic asymmetric intramolecular cyclopropanation (CAIMCP) developed in our laboratory.     

Consecutive sigmatropic rearrangements in the enantioselective total synthesis of (−)-joubertinamine and (−)-mesembrine

Joubertinamine and mesembrine are two related alkaloids isolated from Sceletium plants. From the perspective of chemical synthesis, the major challenge posed by joubertinamine and mesembrine is undoubtedly the construction of the benzylic quaternary stereogenic center. We became intrigued by the prospect of applying successive sigmatropic rearrangements to build the key structural features of these alkaloids in enantioselective manner. In this article, we detail our results in this area, which include the enantioselective total synthesis of (−)-joubertinamine and (−)-mesembrine.     

Enantiospecific synthesis of (−)-d-noviose from (−)-pantolactone

Noviose, the rare sugar moiety present in novobiocin, is an important antimicrobial and antitumor agent that has been shown to inhibit DNA gyrase and HSP90. An enantiospecific synthesis of d-(−)-noviose starting from commercially available (−)-pantolactone is reported.     

Determination of absolute configuration of a metabolite (−)-hydroxyhexamide from acetohexamide, syntheses of (−)- and (+)-hydroxyhexamides and (−)- and (+)-acetoxyhexamides

Enantioselective acetylation of (±)-4-(1-hydroxyethyl)benzenesulfonamide 6 with ‘Acylase I’ (No. A 2156) from Aspergillus melleus in the presence of vinyl acetate gave (R)-4-(1-acetoxyethyl)benzenesulfonamide 7 (98% ee) and (S)-6 (98% ee). Both (S)-6 and (R)-7 were individually converted to the (S)-hydroxyhexamide 2 (>99% ee) and (R)-hydroxyhexamide 2 (>99% ee), respectively. The absolute configuration of a metabolite (−)-hydroxyhexamide 2 from acetohexamide 1 was found to be S based on unequivocal chemical methods including X-ray analysis.     

Total synthesis of (−)-xanthatin

The first enantioselective total synthesis of xanthatin, a xanthanolide sesquiterpenoid exhibiting potent antibacterial activity against MRSA, has been accomplished from an optically pure bicyclic lactone, previously synthesized by our group.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (−)-ara-cyclohexenyl-adenine

A stereoselective synthesis leading to (−)-ara-cyclohexenyl-adenine is described. The synthesis starts from methyl-α-d-glucopyranose and involves an isomerization step, selective protection/deprotection chemistry, a Ferrier rearrangement and a Mitsunobu reaction. This is the first total synthesis of an enantiomeric pure ara-type cyclohexenyl nucleoside.     

Asymmetric synthesis of (−)-acaterin

The asymmetric synthesis of (−)-acaterin, an inhibitor of acyl-CoA cholesterol acyl transferase has been achieved starting from the commercially available starting materials, octan-1-ol and methyl (R)-lactate. The key steps are a Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation and a Wittig olefination.     

Asymmetric synthesis of (−)-codonopsinine

The asymmetric synthesis of (−)-codonopsinine was achieved in 7 steps (from commercially available tert-butyl crotonate) in 5% overall yield and >99:1 dr. The key step in this synthesis involved ring-closing iodoamination of a functionalised homoallylic amine, which occurred with concomitant N-debenzylation, to give a 3-iodopyrrolidine that was elaborated to (−)-codonopsinine.