A concise enantioselective entry to the synthesis of deoxy-azasugars

[reaction: see text] A concise enantioselective preparation of oxazolidinylpiperidine 4, a key intermediate in the synthesis of glycosidase inhibitors such as 1-deoxymannojirimycin or 1-deoxygalactostatin, has been developed. Sharpless catalytic asymmetric epoxidation of (E)-2,4-pentadienol followed by treatment with allyl isocyanate afforded epoxy carbamate 8. Regioselective intramolecular ring opening promoted by sodium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide and ring-closing metathesis provided the bicyclic intermediate 4 in high enantiomeric purity. The four-step sequence takes place in 51% overall yield.     

A simple and concise catalytic asymmetric entry to tetrahydroxanthenones

The first catalytic asymmetric synthesis of tetrahydroxanthenones is presented. The simple organocatalytic enantioselective domino reactions between salicylic aldehyde derivatives and α,β-unsaturated cyclic ketones proceed with excellent chemoselectivity to give the corresponding tetrahydroxanthenones in moderate to good yields and high enantioselectivities.     

Intramolecular homolytic aromatic substitution of alkyl 2-benzimidazolyl sulfones as a means of entry into alkyl radicals for organic synthesis

The intramolecular radical aromatic substitution of heteroaryl sulfones by tethered aryl radicals has been investigated as a source of alkyl radicals. The 1-(2-iodobenzyl)benzimidazole-2-sulfonyl system was found to be the most effective, while a tetrazole-based system did not undergo the desired radical aromatic substitution at all. Application of the benzimidazole-based system to the generation of alkyl radical and their subsequent use in radical cyclizations was demonstrated.     

A convenient entry into diruthenium chemistry

In boiling toluene, diphenylacetylene is readily displaced from the dimetallocycle [Ru₂(CO)(μ-CO) {μ-C(O)C₂Ph₂} (η-C₅H₅)₂] by a variety of reagents (P(OMe)₃, SO₂, R₂CN₂, Ph₂PCH₂) to produce [Ru₂(CO){P(OMe)₃}(μ-CO)₂ - (η-C₅H₅)₂] or [Ru₂(CO)₂(μ-CO)(μ-L)(η-C₅H₅)₂] (L  SO₂, CR₂, CH₂) in high yield.     

A novel short convergent entry into himbacine derivatives

[reaction: see text]. The IMDA reaction of 9 leads with good stereoselectivity to exo-adduct 10b. The functionalized ABC-ring core in 10 is well suited for the convergent synthesis of analogues of himbacine, a naturally occurring M2 selective muscarine receptor antagonist, as illustrated with the further synthesis of the dehydro-derivative 5.     

Electrokinetic particle entry into microchannels

The fundamental understanding of particle electrokinetics in microchannels is relevant to many applications. To date, however, the majority of previous studies have been limited to particle motion within the area of microchannels. This work presents the first experimental and numerical investigation of electrokinetic particle entry into a microchannel. We find that the particle entry motion can be significantly deviated from the fluid streamline by particle dielectrophoresis at the reservoir-microchannel junction. This negative dielectrophoretic motion is induced by the inherent non-uniform electric field at the junction and is insensitive to the microchannel length. It slows down the entering particles and pushes them toward the center of the microchannel. The consequence is the demonstrated particle deflection, focusing, and trapping phenomena at the reservoir-microchannel junction. Such rich phenomena are studied by tuning the AC component of a DC-biased AC electric field. They are also utilized to implement a selective concentration and continuous separation of particles by size inside the entry reservoir.     

A concise synthesis of spirotryprostatin A

The preparation of two new synthons, 2,5- and 2,6-dibromotryptophan esters, and their use in diastereoselective intramolecular N-acyliminium ion spirocyclization methodology for the rapid construction of spirotryprostatin A and analogues are described.     

A concise synthesis of ent-Cholesterol

ent-Cholesterol was synthesized in 16 steps from commercially available (S)-citronellol. The overall yield for the synthesis was 2.0%. This route is amenable to gram-scale preparation of ent-cholesterol. Isotopic incorporation near the end of the synthesis was achieved using labeled methyl iodide. This synthesis is the most practical to date and will make ent-cholesterol more readily available to use as a probe of the function and metabolism of cholesterol.     

A concise synthesis of honokiol

Two approaches to the synthesis of the plant-derived biaryl neolignan honokiol are described. The second approach provided the natural product in either four steps with 34% overall yield or five steps and 55% overall yield.     

A concise route towards isoflavans

Isoflavans have gained considerable interest owing to their potential health benefits. Herein, we have presented a straightforward strategy for isoflavans synthesis. The strategy features an intermolecular [Cu]-catalyzed arylation of malonates and an intramolecular [Pd]-catalyzed Buchwald coupling of hydroxy tethered bromoarenes as the key transformations. This protocol enabled the synthesis of a variety of isoflavan analogs.     

A concise synthesis of butylcycloheptylprodigiosin

A short and efficient total synthesis of the tripyrrole alkaloid butylcycloheptylprodigiosin is described. Key to the brevity of the approach is a two-step synthesis of macrocyclic formylpyrrole 4 from cyclononenone 6.     

A concise synthesis of honokiol

A simple synthesis of the natural product honokiol 1 has been developed which proceeds in four steps and provides a 32% overall yield. Suzuki coupling of 4-allyl-2-bromoanisole 3 with 4-hydroxyphenyl boronic acid, followed by allylation, gave 5-allyl-4′-allyloxy-2-methoxy-biphenyl 5. This compound 5 underwent Lewis acid-catalyzed Claisen rearrangement and demethylation in a one-pot reaction which yielded honokiol.     

A concise synthesis of denbinobin

A concise synthesis of denbinobin is described via an intramolecular free radical cyclization and Fremy’s salt mediated oxidation as a key reactions. A seven-step process starting from commercially available 3,5-dimethoxybenzyl bromide (6) and 2-bromoisovanillin (5) effectively constructs the natural product denbinobin (1).     

A concise synthesis of beta-asparaginyladenylate

Stable analogues of acyladenylate intermediates, such as N-acylphosphoramidates, are useful probes of tRNA aminoacylation and enzyme mechanism, and have potential application as enzyme inhibitors. We now report a concise, "one-pot" synthesis of beta-asparaginyladenylate using a novel coupling protocol that yields the target N-acylphosphoramidate in three reactions from readily available precursors. This simple synthetic procedure may represent a general approach for the preparation of functionalized N-acylphosphoramidates from amides that do not undergo coupling under the conditions of existing literature protocols.     

Synthetic entry into the secoisoquinoline alkaloids

Several analogs of secoisoquinolinc alkaloids bearing a dimethylaminoethyl side chain and a benzilic, or reduced benzilic group were synthesized. Two independent methods based on the intermediacy of 1,3-dithians and O-benzoylated cyanohydrins as acyl anion equivalents were used.