Synthesis of Aristotelia-Type Alkaloids. Part XV. Total synthesis of (+)-hobartinol

Synthetic (+)-makomakine ( 6 ) was transformed in six steps into (+)-17R,18R)-17,18-dihydrohobartine-17,18-diol ((+)- 5 ) with an overall yield of 38% (Scheme 2). This compound was shown to be identical with natural hobartinol, a monoterpene indole alkaloid from Aristotelia australasica, originally believed to be the (17S)-epimer 1 . At the same time, the synthesis of (+)- 5 delineates the hitherto unknown absolute configuration of this metabolite.     

Synthesis of Aristotelia-Type Alkaloids. Part VIBiomimetic Synthesis of (+)-Aristofruticosine

(S)-Perilla alcohol ( 5 ) was transformed into (S)-7-(phenylthio)-p-menth-1-en-8-amine ( 11 ) in five steps. Condensation of this building block with 1-(4-methoxyphenylsulfonyl)-1H-indole-3-acetaldehyde ( 12 ) led to the expected imine 15 which cyclized in 54% yield to protected 20-(phenylthio)hobartine 16 upon exposure to anh. HCOOH. Treatment of this intermediate with an alkylating reagent led to (+)-aristofruticosine protected in the indole moiety via an intramolecular, allylic nucleophilic displacement reaction. Subsequent reductive removal of the protecting group completed the first synthesis of the Aristotelia alkaloid (+)-aristofruticosine ((+)- 4 ). This straightforward synthesis confirmed the tentative structure (+)- 4 , proposed by Bick and Hai, and established the hitherto unknown absolute configuration of this metabolite.     

Synthesis of Aristotelia-Type Alkaloids.. Part IV. Synthesis of (±)-aristoserratine

A convergent diastereoselective synthesis of racemic aristoserratine ((±)- 24 ) via an intramolecular iminium-ion cyclization is described. The pivotal imine (±)- 19 was prepared by condensation of the two building blocks (± )-trans-8-amino-3-(2,6-difluorobenzyloxy)-1-p-menthene ((±)- 11 ) and N-(p-methoxybenzenesulfonyl)-3-indo-leacetaldehyde ( 18 ) which were synthesized from (±)-trans-1-p-menthene-3,8-diol ((±)- 7 ) and 3-indoleacetic acid, respectively. On the route to the target (±)- 24 , two previously unknown indole alkaloids have been characterized, namely (±)-‘anti’-hobartin-15-ol ((±)- 22 ) and (±)-‘anti’-aristotelin-15-ol ((±)- 23 ).     

Total syntheses of (+)-tedanolide and (+)-13-deoxytedanolide

Convergent total syntheses of the potent cytotoxins (+)-tedanolide (1) and (+)-13-deoxytedanolide (2) are described. The carbon framework of these compounds was assembled via a stereoselective aldol reaction that unifies the C(1)-C(12) ketone fragment 5 with a C(13)-C(23) aldehyde fragment 6 (for 13-deoxytedanolide) or 52 (for tedanolide). Multiple obstacles were encountered en route to (+)-1 and (+)-2 that required very careful selection and orchestration of the stereochemistry and functionality of key intermediates. Chief among these issues was the remarkable stability and lack of reactivity of hemiketals 33b and 34 that prevented the tedanolide synthesis from being completed from aldol 4. Key to the successful completion of the tedanolide synthesis was the observation that the 13-deoxy hemiketal 36 could be oxidized to C(11,15)-diketone 38 en route to 13-deoxytedanolide. This led to the decision to pursue the tedanolide synthesis via C(15)-(S)-epimers, since this stereochemical change would destabilize the hemiketal that plagued the attempted synthesis of tedanolide via C(15)-(R) intermediates. However, use of C(15)-(S)-configured intermediates required that the side-chain epoxide be introduced very late in the synthesis, owing to the ease with which the C(15)-(S)-OH cyclized onto the epoxide of intermediate 50.     

Total syntheses of (-)-haemanthidine, (+)-pretazettine, and (+)-tazettine

[structures: see text] The total syntheses of the amaryllidaceae alkaloids haemanthidine, pretazettine, and tazettine as optically pure enantiomers are reported. Using D-mannose as the starting material, the critical relative stereochemical relationships are established with an intramolecular nitrone-alkene cycloaddition reaction. The synthetic route leads successively to (-)-haemanthidine and then to (+)-pretazettine and (+)-tazettine, taking advantage of the well-established complex relationships among these three alkaloids.     

Total syntheses of (-)- and (+)-goniomitine

The Stille coupling reaction of 3-(benzyloxymethyl)-1-(tert-butyldiphenylsiloxy)ethyl-1-(tributylstannyl)allene with N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-2-iodoaniline directly produced the corresponding 2-vinylindole derivative, which was independently transformed into natural (-)-goniomitine and unnatural (+)-goniomitine via the cross-metathesis with chiral oxazolopiperidone lactams. The antiproliferative activity of the synthesized natural (-)-goniomitine in Mock and MDCK/MDR1 cells showed them to be more potent to retard cell growth than unnatural (+)-goniomitine.     

Total Synthesis of Indole and Dihydroindole Alkaloids. XIII. Further Chemistry of Catharanthine

Further investigations on the chemistry of catharanthine have provided information, valuable in the estimation of reactivity and steric requirements of the skeleton. Specific hydroxylations at C(3), C(4) and C(18) have allowed the preparation of several derivatives including (3R, 4 R)-3-hydroxy-3, 4-dihydrocatharanthine ( 7 ); (3R,4 R)-3, 4-dihydroxycatharanthinic acid lactone ( 15 ); 18-decarbomethoxy-18-hydroxycatharanthine ( 40 ).     

Total syntheses of (+)- and (-)-peribysin E

A convergent, stereocontrolled route to either antipode of the cell adhesion inhibitor, peribysin E, has been achieved from carvone. Highlights of the synthesis include a Diels-Alder reaction to generate a cis-decalin framework, followed by semipinacol-type ring contraction to secure the stereochemistry of the C7 quaternary center. Potential mechanistic pathways for the critical ring contraction were studied through deuterium incorporation studies. In addition, an optimized olefin isomerization/Saegusa oxidation protocol is described for the conversion of [4+2] cycloadducts of 2-(trialkylsilyloxy)-1,3-dienes to 1,6(2H,7H)-naphthalenediones, having stereochemical arrangements not accessible via conventional Robinson annulation protocols. Finally, the ability to independently prepare either enantiomer of peribysin E from the corresponding antipode of carvone led to a reassignment of the absolute configuration of peribysin E.     

Total syntheses of Lycopodium alkaloids (+)-fawcettimine, (+)-fawcettidine, and (-)-8-deoxyserratinine

A shared story: Three fawcettimine- and serratinine-type Lycopodium alkaloids are prepared from a common tetracyclic spirodiketone intermediate in concise total syntheses. The intermediate was constructed by a remarkable biosynthesis-inspired transannular N-C bond formation to the spiro-configured carbon center and a hydroxy-directed pinacol coupling promoted by SmI(2).     

Total syntheses of (+)-7-epi-goniofufurone, (+)-goniopypyrone and (+)-goniofufurone from a common precursor

Total syntheses of (+)-7-epi-goniofufurone, (+)-goniopypyrone and (+)-goniofufurone have been achieved from an advanced common precursor formed from D-(+)-mannitol by changing the carbinol protection profile.     

Convergent Synthesis of Naphthylisoquinoline Alkaloids: Total Synthesis of (+)-O-Methylancistrocline

A highly convergent synthesis of the methyl ether derivative 2a of the naphthylisoquinoline alkaloid ancistrocline (2) is described. The key step involves a stereoselective biaryl coupling between the chiral oxazoline 3 and the Grignard reagent 4 derived from the optically active tetrahydroisoquinoline 8. The atropisomeric mixture was then converted to the separable acetamides 11 and 12, which were obtained in a ratio of 16:84 and an overall yield of 32% for the three steps. The major atropisomer 12 was then converted into O-methylancistrocline (2a), which was identical to a semisynthetic sample derived from the related alkaloid ancistrocladinine (14).     

Total syntheses of (+)-castanospermine and (+)-deoxynojirimycin

The absolute configuration of castanospermine has been determined by total synthesis to be as shown in 1.     

Total syntheses of (+)-temisin, (+)-melitensin and related elemanolides from (-)-artemisin

(+)-Temisin, (+)-melitensin, and related sesquiterpene lactones have been synthesized from (-)-artemisin.     

Total syntheses of (+)-australine and (-)-7-epialexine

Three approaches were examined for the synthesis of 3-(hydroxymethyl)pyrrolizidines, a class of compounds that includes the polyhydroxylated pyrrolizidine alkaloids alexine (1), australine (2), and various stereoisomers of thereof. In the first approach, the intramolecular cycloaddition of an azide onto an electron-rich 1, 3-diene bearing a terminal alkoxymethyl substituent (i.e., 21) afforded the dehydropyrrolizidines 22a and 22b, with 22a predominating. A rationale for this stereoselectivity was proposed. Transformation of the major diastereomer 22a into a natural 3-(hydroxymethyl)pyrrolizidine was not possible due to difficulties encountered in transforming the phenyl vinyl sulfide functionality into other useful functional groups. A second approach was examined, wherein the intramolecular cycloaddition of an azide with an optically pure S-t-Bu-substituted diene (i.e., 30) was found to produce the pyrrolizidine 31. In this case, the alkoxymethyl substituent was incorporated into the tether between the azide and the diene, rather than on the diene itself. A key transformation in the synthesis of the diene 30 was the use of the allylic borane R(2)BCH(2)CH=C(TMS)(StBu) for the stereoselective conversion of the D-arabinose-derived azido aldehyde 28 to the E-isomer of 30. The cyclization of 30 to 31 also produced the bicyclic triazene 32, the result of 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of the azide onto the distal double bond of the diene. Again, difficulties in transformation of the vinyl sulfide functionality of 31 into useful oxygen functionality limited this approach to naturally occurring 3-(hydroxymethyl)pyrrolizidines. A third approach to these compounds was successful. The transformation of L-xylose into the azido epoxy tosylate 46 was accomplished using two Wittig reactions and an epoxidation, in addition to other standard functional group manipulations. Reductive double-cyclization of 46 afforded the pyrrolizidines 47a and 47b, which were debenzylated to afford (+)-australine 2 and (-)-7-epialexine 4, respectively. In the preliminary report of this work, erroneous spectroscopic data in the original literature on the structural assignment of australine led to the conclusion that the synthetic material obtained herein was actually (+)-7-epiaustraline. Recently corrected spectroscopic data have appeared which verify that (+)-australine 2 was indeed synthesized for the first time.     

Synthetic Studies on Erythrina Alkaloids: Formal Total Synthesis of (+)-3-Demethoxyerythratidinone

A formal asymmetric synthesis of (+)-3-demethoxyerythratidinone (1) is reported using the key intermediate 3 as the starting material, which is available from L-malic acid by a known method.

Total syntheses of (+)-vigulariol and (-)-sclerophytin A

The total syntheses of (+)-vigulariol and (-)-sclerophytin A are reported in 15 steps and 16 steps, respectively, from a known compound. The flexible, readily scalable synthetic strategy allows for rapid construction of a critical tricyclic intermediate and is demonstrated via the synthesis of these two marine natural products. A key reaction in this synthetic protocol is a combination Wittig/intramolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition.     

Total syntheses of racemic, natural (-) and unnatural (+) glyceollin I

The first total syntheses of racemic glyceollin I and its enantiomers are described. A Wittig approach was utilized as an entry to the appropriately substituted isoflav-3-ene so that an osmium tetroxide mediated asymmetric dihydroxylation could be deployed for stereospecific introduction of the 6a-hydroxy group. While using triphenylphosphine hydrobromide, a novel method was found for gently removing MOM from protected phenolic hydroxyl groups present within sensitive systems.     

Total syntheses of enantiomerically enriched R-(+)- and S-(-)-deplancheine

Total syntheses of indoloquinolizidine alkaloid (+/-)-, R-(+)-, and S-(-)-deplancheine are described here. The synthesis features an enantioselective intramolecular formal aza-[3 + 3] cycloaddition for the construction of the quinolizidine CD-ring. This application serves to introduce a new synthetic strategy for the synthesis of indoloquinolizidine alkaloids.