Ti(III)-mediated opening of 2,3-epoxy alcohols to build five-membered carbocycles with multiple chiral centres

Stereoselective construction of highly substituted five-membered carbocycles with multiple chiral centres is described. Sharpless kinetic resolution was applied as the key step to prepare the required 2,3-epoxy alcohols and a Ti(III) radical mediated opening of the epoxide ring followed by intramolecular trapping of the generated radical with a suitably placed α,β-unsaturated ester resulted in the formation of five-membered carbocycles with up to three consecutive new chiral centres stereoselectively fixed.     

Studies directed towards the synthesis of antascomicin A: stereoselective synthesis of the C22-C34 fragment of the molecule

A stereoselective synthesis of the C22-C34 fragment of the non-immunosuppressive immunophilin-binding natural product, antascomicin A was achieved using d-quinic acid as the starting material and highly stereoselective aldol reactions were employed, as key steps, to build the remaining stereocentres at C23, C26 and C27.     

Studies directed towards the total synthesis of lycoperdinosides: stereoselective construction of the C1-C9 and C10-C21 segments of the molecules

The three chiral centres of the C1-C9 moiety of the six-membered lactone glycosides, lycoperdinosides A and B, have been derived from a common starting material containing a single chiral centre. In contrast, the C10-C21 segment of these molecules has been synthesized using, as key steps, a highly stereoselective aldol reaction, a Ti(III)-mediated opening of a trisubstituted epoxy alcohol and an efficient directed hydrostannylation of a suitably substituted internal alkyne.     

Total synthesis and stereochemical revision of acortatarins A and B

A first total synthesis of acortatarins A, B, and an enantiomer of the proposed structure of acortatarin B is described by using readily available d-sugars. This convergent total synthesis revealed the revision of the absolute configuration of acortatarin A and structural revision of acortatarin B. The key steps involved are regioselective epoxide opening with deprotonated 2,5-disubstituted pyrrole and spiroketalization.     

Synthetic studies toward potent cytostatic macrolide rhizopodin: stereoselective synthesis of the C16-C28 fragment

A stereoselective synthesis of the C16-C28 fragment of cytostatic C₂-symmetric macrolide rhizopodin is described. Enantioselective addition of a chiral thiazolidinethione derived titanium enolate to acetal, Evans’ aldol reaction, Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction, and Mukaiyama aldol reaction were applied as key steps.