Enantiogenic synthesis of (R)-(−)-3-hydroxy-1-penten-4-one

Condensation of pyruvate and acrolein with whole cells of baker's yeast resulted in a mixture of 3-hydroxy-1-penten-4-one 1 and 4-hydroxy-1-penten-3-one 2. The absolute configuration (R) and the enantiomeric excess (ee 72%) of the compound 1 were determined.     

Asymmetric synthesis of (−)-(R)-sitagliptin

The asymmetric synthesis of (?)-(R)-sitagliptin was achieved in seven steps from commercially available starting materials using the highly diastereoselective conjugate additions of either lithium (R)-N-benzyl-N-(α-methylbenzyl)amide or lithium (R)-N-benzyl-N-(α-methyl-p-methoxybenzyl)amide to tert-butyl 4-(2′,4′,5′-trifluorophenyl)but-2-enoate to install the correct stereochemistry. Subsequent sequential acid-catalysed hydrolysis of the resultant β-amino esters, HOBt/EDC mediated coupling with the triazolopyrazine fragment, and hydrogenolysis gave (?)-(R)-sitagliptin in 43% and 42% overall yields, respectively.     

New efficient synthesis of (3R,4S)-3-methyl-3-hydroxy-4-phenyl-β-lactam

A method is described for the chiral synthesis of (3R,4S)-3-methyl-3-hydroxy-4-phenyl-β-lactam, a useful precursor for the semi-synthesis of 2′-methyl-taxoids. This protocol follows Seebach's synthetic principle of `self-regeneration of stereocenters' (SRS) and has been applied to addition reactions of the (2S)-chiral enolates of dioxolan-4-ones, derived from the acetalization of (S)-α-lactic acid and tert-butylaldehyde or pinacolone, to N-trimethylsilylphenyl aldimine.     

First enantioselective total synthesis of (S)-(−)-longianone

An efficient stereoselective synthesis of (S)-(?)-longianone was achieved from sugar derived 1,2-cyclopropanecarboxylate involving bromonium ion mediated solvolytic ring opening and a one-pot dehydrohalogenation, stereoselective intramolecular hetero Michael addition (IHMA) and ester hydrolysis as key steps.     

First asymmetric synthesis of (R)-(−)-α-phenyl δ-amino valeric acid

An efficient synthesis of the (R)-(−)-α-phenyl δ-amino valeric acid 1 is described starting from commercially available compounds. The key intermediate in this synthesis is the corresponding totally protected prochiral ketene.     

An efficient synthesis of (R)-(−)-baclofen

In this report we describe an efficient synthesis of (R)-(−)-baclofen, a selective GABA_B agonist used as an antispastic agent. Our strategy is based on an enantioselective deprotonation of a cyclobutanone easily obtained by [2+2] cycloaddition of 4-chlorostyrene and dichloroketene.     

New methodology for the synthesis of enantiopure (3R,2aR)-(−)-3-phenyl-hexahydro-oxazolo[3,2-a]-pyridin-5-one: a synthesis of (S)-(+)-coniine

A new and efficient methodology for the enantiopure synthesis of (3R,2aR)-(−)-3-phenyl-hexahydro-oxazolo[3,2-a]pyridin-5-one 3 starting from (1′R)-(−)-1-(2′-hydroxy-1′-phenyl-ethyl)-(1H)-pyridin-2-one 1 is described. In addition, the enantiospecific synthesis of (S)-(+)-coniine hydrochloride 6 in good yield from 3 is reported.     

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of (4S,5R)-5-hydroxy-γ-decalactone

Reduction of ethyl 2-hydroxy-3-oxooctanoate with immobilised baker's yeast at pH 4.0 yields anti-2R,3R-dihydroxy ester with high diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity (de 70%, ee 80%) which is conveniently converted to (4S,5R)-5-hydroxy-γ-decalactone.     

A simple synthesis of (−)-(R)-ipsdienol and (−)-(S)-ipsenol

A short and efficient synthesis of the unnatural enantiomer of (+)-(S)-ipsdienol 1 and (−)-(S)-ipsenol 2 is presented via an asymmetric allylboration. The synthesis was achieved by using a one-pot reduction–methylenation of an exo-methylene lactone intermediate.     

A Facile Synthesis of 4-(3β -Methoxy-5α-androstan-17β-YL)-3-pyrrolin-2-one

The title compound was prepared in 4 steps from 3β-methoxy-21-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one (1). The required intermediate (4) was obtained using lithium enolate derived from t-butyl acetate. Interesting enough, p-tosyl chloride in pyridine quantitatively converted compound 1 into the α-chloro ketone derivative (2).     

Reaction of 5-aryl-4-acetyl-3-hydroxy-1-(ω-carboxyalkyl)-3-pyrrolin-2-ones with aromatic amines

Reactions of 5-aryl-4-acetyl-3-hydroxy-1-(ω-carboxyalkyl)-3-pyrrolin-2-ones with aromatic amines led to the formation of 5-aryl-4-(1-arylaminoethylidene)-1-(ω-carboxyalkyl)pyrrolidine-2,3-diones whose structure was confirmed by IR and ¹H NMR spectra and XRD analysis.     

Convenient synthesis of chiral lignin model compounds via optical resolution: four stereoisomers of guaiacylglycerol-β-guaiacyl ether and both enantiomers of 3-hydroxy-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-propan-1-one (erone)

Guaiacylglycerol-β-guaiacyl ether (GGE) is one of the most important phenolic compound for studying the chemistry and biochemistry of lignin. GGE contains two asymmetric carbons at the alpha and beta positions of its side chain; therefore, theoretically it can exist as four different stereoisomers. It has been proposed that a Gram-negative bacterium, Sphingobium sp. SYK-6 (formerly referred as Sphingomonas paucimobilis SYK-6), degrades GGE enantiospecifically via cleavage of the ether bond. The cleavage was thought to proceed in two steps, each catalyzed by a different enantiospecific enzyme. In the first step, the alcohol residue at the alpha position of the side chain in GGE was thought to be oxidized enantiospecifically by four distinct Cα-dehydrogenases (LigD, LigN, LigL and LigO), to produce two enantiomers of 3-hydroxy-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-propan-1-one (erone). To study this enantiospecific degradation step by the four dehydrogenases, we synthesized all four stereoisomers of GGE and both enantiomers of erone and separated them into enantiopure samples. The stereoisomers and our synthetic methods to prepare them are useful both for microbial and chemical investigations of lignin degradation.     

Efficient synthesis of (−)-(R)- and (+)-(S)-rolipram

A novel, efficient and protecting group free enantioselective synthetic approach of (?)-(R)-1 and (+)-(S)-rolipram 2 is described employing the organocatalyzed asymmetric Michael addition, Henry condensation, Wittig olefination and reductive lactamization reactions as key steps.     

First total synthesis of 10α-hydroxy-4-muurolen-3-one and its C10-isomer

An efficient synthetic route to muurolane type sesquiterpenes starting from (R)-carvone,employing allylic diazene rearrange-ment and the ring closing methesis (RCM) reaction as key steps,is described.The first asymmetric total synthesis of (-)-10α-hydroxy-4-muurolen-3-one B and (-)-10β-hydroxy-4-muurolen-3-one C was accomplished.Through the total synthesis,the absolute configurations of the natural products A,B and C were established.     

First total synthesis of 10α-hydroxy-4-muurolen-3-one and its C10-isomer

An efficient synthetic route to muurolane type sesquiterpenes starting from （R）-carvone, employing allylic diazene rearrangement and the ring closing methesis （RCM） reaction as key steps, is described. The first asymmetric total synthesis of （-）-10α- hydroxy-4-muurolen-3-one 11 and （-）-10β-hydroxy-4-muurolen-3-one C was accomplished. Through the total synthesis, the absolute configurations of the natural products A, B and C were established.     

Convergent asymmetric synthesis of indolizidines from (S)-5-(tosylmethyl)-2-pyrrolidinone: synthesis of (−)-δ-coniceine

The enantiomerically pure (S)-5-(tosylmethyl)-2-pyrrolidinone 2, prepared from commercially available (S)-pyroglutaminol, is dialkylated at the nitrogen atom and the α-sulfonyl position using several dielectrophiles using sodium hydride as the base to diastereoselectively afford indolizidine derivatives 5 and the less common hexahydropyrrolo[1,2-a]azepin-3-one 6 in moderate to good yield. This domino process has been applied to the synthesis of (−)-δ-coniceine.     

Synthesis of 2-(3-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-alkenyl)-1-pyrrolines and 2-(3-hydroxybutyl)-1-pyrroline using α-lithiated 2-methyl-1-pyrroline

Condensation of 2-methyl-1-pyrroline with chloroacetone or 3-chloro-2-butanone using LDA in THF afforded novel 2-(3-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-alkenyl)-1-pyrrolines via a peculiar reaction mechanism instead of the anticipated 2-(3-oxobutyl)-1-pyrrolines. The intermediacy of 2-(2,3-epoxy-2-methylalkyl)-1-pyrrolines in the latter transformation was demonstrated by immediate reductive epoxide ring opening utilizing lithium aluminium hydride in diethyl ether. Furthermore, 2-(3-oxobutyl)-1-pyrroline was prepared via an alternative approach through alkylation of 2-methyl-1-pyrroline with 3-chloro-2-(methoxymethyloxy)-1-propene using LDA in THF, followed by acid hydrolysis. Reduction of 2-(3-oxobutyl)-1-pyrroline by sodium borohydride in methanol afforded the corresponding 2-(3-hydroxybutyl)-1-pyrroline in good yield.     

Synthesis of (24R)-3β-hydroxystigmast-5-en-7-one

The natural compound (24R)-3-hydroxystigmast-5-en-7-one has been synthesized from -sitosterol.Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus', 220141, Belarus', Minsk. Ul. Akad. Kuprevicha, 5/2. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 484–487, July–August, 1999.     

Asymmetric synthesis of (R)-(−)-chlozolinate through a chemoenzymatic procedure

A new asymmetric synthesis of (R)-chlozolinate 1, an important antifungal agent, based on the enzymatic asymmetrization of diethyl 2-benzyloxy-2-methylmalonate, is reported.     

Asymmetric synthesis of (−)-(1R,7aS)-absouline

The most efficient and concise asymmetric synthesis of (?)-(1R,7aS)-absouline to date, which was accomplished in eight steps and 20% overall yield from commercially available starting materials, is described. The doubly diastereoselective conjugate addition of lithium (S)-N-benzyl-N-(α-methylbenzyl)-amide to an enantiopure α,β-unsaturated ester derived from l-proline was employed as the key step. Subsequent hydrogenolytic N-debenzylation and acid-promoted cyclisation of the resultant β-amino ester produced the 1-aminopyrrolizidin-3-one scaffold, then reduction with DIBAL-H was followed by DCC-mediated coupling with (E)-p-methoxycinnamic acid to complete the synthesis of (?)-(1R,7aS)-absouline.