Enantioselective synthesis of alkaloids from phenylglycinol-derived lactams

This review is focused on recent synthetic achievements and ongoing work in our laboratory using phenylglycinol-derived oxazolopiperidone lactams as starting materials for the enantioselective synthesis of piperidine-containing alkaloids: madangamines, 2,5-disubstituted decahydroquinoline and 1-substituted tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids, the indole alkaloids 20S- and 20R-dihydrocleavamine and quebrachamine, and indole alkaloids of the uleine and silicine groups.     

Conjugate additions to phenylglycinol-derived unsaturated delta-lactams. Enantioselective synthesis of uleine alkaloids

The stereochemical outcome of the conjugate addition of a variety of stabilized nucleophiles (2-indoleacetic enolates and sulfur-stabilized anions) to the phenylglycinol-derived unsaturated lactams trans-2, cis-2, and its 8-ethyl-substituted analogue 10 is studied. The factors governing the exo or endo facial stereoselectivity are discussed. This methodology provides short synthetic routes to either cis- or trans-3,4-disubstituted enantiopure piperidines as well as efficient routes for the enantioselective construction of the tetracyclic ring system of uleine alkaloids, both in the normal and 20-epi series. The formal total synthesis of several alkaloids of this group is reported.     

Alkylation of phenylglycinol-derived oxazolopiperidone lactams. Enantioselective synthesis of beta-substituted piperidines

The stereochemical outcome of the alkylation of a variety of phenylglycinol-derived oxazolopiperidone lactams is studied. The influence of the configuration of the C-8a stereocenter and the effect of the substituents at the C-8 and C-8a positions on the stereoselectivity of the reaction are discussed. The synthetic utility of these alkylation reactions is illustrated with the synthesis of cis and trans 3,5-disubstituted, 2,5-disubstituted, and 2,3,5-trisubstituted enantiopure piperidines, and the indole alkaloids 20R- and 20S-dihydrocleavamine.     

Enantioselective synthesis of indolizidine and quinolizidine derivatives from chiral non-racemic bicyclic lactams

Chiral non-racemic bicyclic lactams 2b,c, derived from (R)- and (S)-phenylglycinol, were used in the enantioselective synthesis of (−)-lupinine and 5-epitashiromine, respectively. The efficiency of the synthesis relied on the high diastereoselectivities of formation and reduction of compounds 2b,c.     

Enantioselective synthesis of 3,3-disubstituted piperidine derivatives by enolate dialkylation of phenylglycinol-derived oxazolopiperidone lactams

The stereochemical outcome of the enolate dialkylation of simple phenylglycinol-derived oxazolopiperidone lactams is studied. High stereoselectivities in the generation of the quaternary stereocenter are obtained by the appropriate choice of both the configuration of the starting lactam and the order of introduction of the substituents. The usefulness of the methodology is illustrated by the conversion of some of the dialkylated lactams into known synthetic precursors of alkaloids and by the total synthesis of (-)-quebrachamine.     

Enantioselective synthesis of piperidine,indolizidine, and quinolizidine alkaloids from a phenylglycinol-derived delta-lactam

Starting from a common lactam, (3R,8aS)-5-oxo-3-phenyl-2,3,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-5H-oxazolo[3,2-a]pyridine (1), or its enantiomer, the enantioselective synthesis of 2-alkylpiperidines and cis- and trans-2,6-dialkylpiperidines is reported. The potential of this approach is illustrated by the synthesis of the piperidine alkaloids (R)-coniine, (2R,6S)-dihydropinidine, (2R,6R)-lupetidine, and (2R,6R)-solenopsin A, the indolizidine alkaloids (5R,8aR)-indolizidine 167B and (3R,5S,8aS)-monomorine I, and the nonnatural base (4R,9aS)-4-methylquinolizidine.     

Enantioselective synthesis of 2-[(3-ethyl-4-piperidyl)methyl]indoles from a phenylglycinol-derived lactam: formal synthesis of Strychnos alkaloids

A diastereodivergent synthesis of enantiopure cis- and trans-2-[(3-ethyl-4-piperidyl)methyl]indole (cis-1b and trans-1b) from a common phenylglycinol-derived oxazolopiperidone lactam 3 is reported. The key step is a stereocontrolled conjugate addition, either under kinetic or thermodynamic control, of the dilithium salt of 2-(2-indolyl)-1,3-dithiane to unsaturated lactam 3.     

A novel stereocontrolled synthesis of enantiopure bicyclic lactams

A study on the reactivity of 3,4-dihydro-2-pyridones 9, derived from (S)-phenylglycinol, toward different bases is presented. Using a catalytic amount of bases, the cis bicyclic lactams were obtained with excellent diastereoselectivities.     

Enantioselective formal synthesis of tridemethylisovelleral

A simple and efficient synthetic route to the bicyclic α,β-unsaturated β-keto ester methyl (3aS,7aS)-6-oxo-2,3,3a,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1H-indene-5-carboxylate, a versatile intermediate in the synthesis of biologically active unsaturated 1,4-dialdehydes, is described. The synthesis includes a chirality introducing nonenzymatic asymmetric desymmetrization (ADS) reaction of a cyclic meso-anhydride 4 and a modified Hofmann method for preparing exocyclic dienes. The ester was synthesized in a moderate overall yield (19%) from 6 and with an excellent enantioselectivity (>90%).     

Enantioselective synthesis of bridged bicyclic ring systems

The type 2 intramolecular Diels-Alder (IMDA) reaction is a valuable method for synthesis of both carbocyclic and heterocyclic bridged bicyclo[5.3.1]undecane and bicyclo[4.3.1]decane ring systems. These structures are common to a number of biologically important natural products. Asymmetric variants of the type 2 IMDA reaction incorporating oxazolidinone chiral auxiliaries have been evaluated. This study has resulted in systems that deliver bridged bicyclic [5.3.1] and [4.3.1] ring systems in high diastereomeric (97-99% de) and enantiomeric purity.     

Enantioselective formal synthesis of palmerolide A

Enantioselective formal synthesis of macrolactone palmerolide A, a polyketide marine natural product, is described. Key strategies in the synthesis include the oxidative furan ring-opening of a chiral furyl carbinol for the installation of the 1,4-dienol core and a Jung nonaldol-aldol reaction for the dienamide core.     

Enantioselective formal total synthesis of roseophilin

[formula: see text] An enantioselective formal total synthesis of roseophilin 3 is presented. The 13-membered ring of macrotricycle 1 was formed via an efficient ring-closing metathesis reaction of bicycle 4. A palladium-catalyzed methoxycarbonylation reaction of enol triflate 5 was utilized to functionalize the right-hand ring of bicycle 2. The allyl substituent was introduced by a radical allylation of alpha-bromoketone 17.     

Water-based conditions for the microscale parallel synthesis of bicyclic lactams

We report efficient miniaturized conditions to prepare arrays of bicyclic lactams for screening. The nature of the solvent is usually an important factor of reactivity. At a small synthesis scale, when automated pipetting devices are required, physical properties of the solvent, such as surface tension and vapor pressure also become very important. After having shown that a complete evaporation of a solution of reagents in water or a mixture of ethanol and water yields the expected lactams, we exemplified the reaction and procedure with the preparation of a library of 80 members. Our synthesis scheme is validated for synthesis scales from 1 to 100 mg. Therefore, it can be used both to produce rapidly test samples for HTS as well as to prepare intermediates for the synthesis of more elaborated nature-inspired compounds.     

A versatile synthesis of meyers' bicyclic lactams from furans: singlet-oxygen-initiated reaction cascade

All in one: Meyers' bicyclic lactams were synthesized in high yield from furans using a new and powerful method that involves a one-pot singlet-oxygen-initiated reaction cascade (see scheme; TFA=trifluoroacetic acid). This method has broad synthetic potential because of the ease of access to a wide range of furans with a variety of substituents.     

Enantioselective spirocyclizations from tryptophanol-derived oxazolopiperidone lactams

A straightforward synthetic route to enantiopure spiro[indole-3,3'-indolizidines] is reported. The key step is a Lewis acid promoted cyclization of a Na-tosyltryptophanol-derived oxazolopiperidone lactam in the presence of Et3SiH.     

A practical procedure for the removal of the phenylethanol moiety from phenylglycinol-derived lactams

Chiral non-racemic bicyclic lactams derived from phenylglycinol have been appointed as key building blocks for the preparation of enantiopure nitrogen compounds. The removal of the chiral inductor leading to substituted piperidones by using air or oxygen in basic media is presented.     

Enantioselective synthesis of 1-deoxy-d-gulonojirimycin from a phenylglycinol-derived lactam

Cyclocondensation of (R)-phenylglycinol with appropriately γ-substituted δ-oxo acid derivatives provides bicyclic lactams from which the enantioselective synthesis of 1-deoxy-d-gulonojirimycin has been reported.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of tricyclic myrmicarin alkaloids

[reaction: see text] An enantioselective gram-scale synthesis of a key dihydroindolizine intermediate for the preparation of myrmicarin alkaloids is described. Key transformations in this convergent approach include a stereospecific palladium-catalyzed N-vinylation of a pyrrole with a vinyl triflate, a copper-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate reduction of a beta-pyrrolyl enoate, and a regioselective Friedel-Crafts reaction. The synthesis of optically active and isomerically pure samples of (4aR)-myrmicarins 215A, 215B, and 217 in addition to their respective C4a-epimers is presented.