Chemoenzymatic synthesis of (3S,4S)- and (3R,4R)-3-methoxy-4-methylaminopyrrolidine

Facile chemoenzymatic enantioselective synthesis of (3S,4S)-3-methoxy-4-methylaminopyrrolidine, a key intermediate for a new quinolone antitumor compound AG-7352 has been described. This methodology illustrates the preparation of 3-azido-1-benzyloxycarbonyl-4-hydroxypyrrolidine starting from diallylamine via 1-benzyloxycarbonyl-3-pyrroline obtained by ring-closing metathesis (RCM) employing Grubbs’ catalyst. Enzymatic transesterification employing PS-C lipase gave (3S,4S)-3-azido-1-benzyloxycarbonyl-4-hydroxypyrrolidine in >99% ee, which upon methylation of the hydroxyl group followed by sequential reactions gave the desired intermediates, (3S,4S)-1-tert-butoxycarbonyl-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-methoxypyrrolidine.     

An efficient stereoselective synthesis of (2S,4S,5R)-(−)- and (2R,4R,5S)-(+)-bulgecinine

A short synthetic route to (−)-and (+)-bulgecinine, the amino acid moiety of the bulgecins was achieved from the readily available nonchiral pool starting material cis-2-butene-1,4-diol in which a Claisen orthoester rearrangement and a Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation were used as the key steps.     

Synthesis of (4R,15R,16R,21S)- and (4R,15S,16S,21S)-rollicosin

A convergent synthesis of (4R,15R,16R,21S)-rollicosin (1) and (4R,15S,16S,21S)-rollicosin (2) was accomplished. Hydroxy lactone 6a and/or 6b were synthesized from 4-pentyn-1-ol, and α,β-unsaturated lactone 7 was synthesized from γ-lactone 8 and 5-hexen-1-ol. Inhibitory activity of these compounds was examined with bovine heart mitochondrial complex I.     

Concise and practical synthesis of (2S,3R,4R,5R) and (2S,3R,4R,5S)-1,6-dideoxy-1,6-iminosugars

The syntheses of (2S,3R,4R,5R) and (2S,3R,4R,5S)-1,6-dideoxy-1,6 iminosugars 1a and 1b, respectively, from d-glucose are described. The key transformations in this reaction sequence include regio-selective epoxide ring opening with N-benzylamine followed by intramolecular reductive amination of amino-aldehyde.     

Asymmetric syntheses of (1R,1R,5R,7R) and (1S,1R,5R,7R)-1-hydroxy-exo-brevicomin and a formal synthesis of (+)-exo-brevicomin

Asymmetric syntheses of (1R,1^′R,5^′R,7^′R) and (1S,1^′R,5^′R,7^′R)-1-hydroxy-exo-brevicomins 1 and 2, volatiles of the male mountain pine beetle, and a formal synthesis of (+)-exo-brevicomin 3, a component of the attracting pheromone system of several bark beetles have been achieved. The key steps are Birch reduction of commercially available α-picoline, selective Wittig olefination, and Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation.     

Synthesis of (4R,8R)- and (4S,8R)-4,8-dimethyldecanal: the common aggregation pheromone of flour beetles

The synthesis of (4R,8R)- and (4S,8R)-4,8-dimethyldecanal 1 and 1a has been achieved connecting the chiral building block (R)-2-methyl-1-bromobutane 4 with (R)- and (S)-citronellol derivatives. The key intermediate 4 was obtained optically pure in five steps from methyl (S)-3-hydroxy-2-methylpropionate 2.     

A stereoselective approach for the total synthesis of (5R,7R,9R)-7,9-dihydroxy-5-decanolide#

A stereoselective approach for the total synthesis of lactone (5R,7R,9R)-7,9-dihydroxy-5-decanolide is described. The sequence of synthetic reactions involves a Keck asymmetric allylation, diastereoselective iodo-carbonate cyclization, regioselective ring-opening reaction, oxidative lactonization.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (2R,3R) and (2R,3S)-3-hydroxyleucines

A stereoselective synthesis of (2R,3R) and (2R,3S)-3-hydroxyleucine is disclosed. The key step of the reaction sequence involves, stereo- and regioselective bromohydration of 7, using a brominating agent derived in situ from N-bromosuccinimide and 2,6-lutidine, via intramolecular sulfinyl group participation.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (+)-(1R,2S,5S,7R)-2-hydroxy-exo-brevicomin

A stereoselective approach for the synthesis of (+)-(1R,2S,5S,7R)-2-hydroxy-exo-brevicomin from l-ascorbic acid has been described. The key steps are highly stereoselective nucleophilic addition reaction on aldehyde 8 and also a single pot transformation of 15 to (+)-(1R,2S,5S,7R)-2-hydroxy-exo-brevicomin. The later tandem reaction which involves the hydrogenation of double bond, debenzylation, MOM deprotection and bicyclic ketal formation was carried under Pd/C, H₂ followed by acid treatment.     

Chiral synthesis of (R)-( -)-mellein and (3R,4aS)-( + )-ramulosin

By employing an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction as the key-step, (R)-(—)-mellein 1a (a metabolite of Aspergittus melleus) and (3R,4aS)-( +)-ramulosin 2 (a metabolite of Pestalotia ramulosa) were synthesised from ethyl (R)-3-hydroxybutanoate 3a.     

Intramolecular reductive amination strategy to the synthesis of (R)-N-Boc-2-hydroxymethylmorpholine, N-(3,4-dichlorobenzyl)(R)-2-hydroxymethylmorpholine, and (R)-2-benzylmorpholine

A concise high yielding enantioselective synthesis of (R)-N-Boc-2-hydroxymethylmorpholine, N-(3,4-dichlorobenzyl)(R)-2-hydroxymethylmorpholine, and (R)-benzylmorpholine has been achieved by employing proline-catalyzed asymmetric α-aminooxylation of aldehyde and palladium-catalyzed intramolecular reductive amination of azido aldehyde as the key steps.     

Stereoselective total synthesis of 4-((3S,5R)-3,5-dihydroxynonadecyl)phenol

A stereoselective total synthesis of 4-((3S,5R)-3,5-dihydroxynonadecyl)phenol has been accomplished in two different synthetic approaches. In the first approach, Prins cyclization has been successfully utilized to produce the anti-1,3-diol unit, which was further converted into a required syn-1,3-diol through Mitsunobu reaction. The side chain was constructed through cross metathesis and hydrogenation sequence. In the second approach, the chiral syn-1,3-diol was prepared by a sequence of reactions such as alkylation of 1,3-dithane with (R)-epichlorohydrin, ring opening of the epoxide with vinylmagnesium bromide, and 1,3-syn-reduction of the β-hydroxyketone with NaBH₄ in the presence of diethylmethoxyborane.     

Efficient synthesis of (R)- and (S)-3-octanol, (R)-2-dodecanol, (R)-2-methyl-4-heptanol and (R)-2-methyl-4-octanol: the pheromones of Myrmica scabrinodis, Crematogaster castanea, C. liengmei, C. auberti and Metamasius hemipterus

A simple and efficient synthesis of optically active insect pheromones, such as (R)- and (S)-3-octanol, (R)-2-dodecanol, (R)-2-methyl-4-heptanol and (R)-2-methyl-4-octanol starting from non-racemic β-hydroxy sulfides has been established.     

Synthetic studies on homophymine A: stereoselective synthesis of (2R,3R,4R,6R)-3-hydroxy-2,4,6-trimethyloctanoic acid

An efficient and highly stereocontrolled synthesis of (2R,3R,4R,6R)-3-hydroxy-2,4,6-trimethyloctanoic acid, the β-hydroxy acid unit that acylates the N-terminus of homophymine A, has been devised starting from iodoethane and (S,S)-pseudoephedrine propionamide in 9 steps and 36% average overall yield. Comparison of the ¹H and ¹³C NMR and optical rotation data of the resulting β-hydroxy acid with the natural fragment unambiguously verifies the configurational assignment as (2R,3R,4R,6R).     

Synthesis of (±)-2R,4R,5S-2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-(2,3,4-trimethoxyphenyl)cyclohexanone and (±)-2R,4S,5R-2-methoxy-5-nitro-4-(2,3,4-trimethoxyphenyl)cyclohexanone as colchicine mimetics

Colchicine mimetic (±)-4S,5R-4-nitro-5-(2,3,4-trimethoxyphenyl)cyclohexene (1) was epoxidized to afford a mixture of epoxides. The epoxides were separately converted in two steps, with high stereoselectivity, to two regioisomeric α-methoxyketones. One regioisomer, (±)-2R,4S,5R-2-methoxy-5-nitro-4-(2,3,4-trimethoxyphenyl)cyclohexanone (17), proved to be about 12-fold more potent than synthetic precursor 1 against HCT-116 tumor cells while the other regioisomer, (±)-2R,4R,5S-2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-(2,3,4-trimethoxyphenyl)cyclohexanone (16), and the synthetic intermediates tested showed no improvement in potency.     

Enantioselective synthesis of (−)-(1R,2R)-1,2-dihydrochrysene-1,2-diol

A general chiral building block containing the 1R,2R-trans-diol moiety was constructed utilizing the stereoselective Shi-epoxidation reaction on a tetralone scaffold assembled by a Negishi cross-coupling on N,N-diethylbenzamide. Further elaboration of this chiral building block into polycyclic aromatic compounds was demonstrated with the total synthesis of the precursor for the most carcinogenic metabolite of chrysene, (−)-(1R,2R)-1,2-dihydrochrysene-1,2-diol in 87% ee.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (8R,8aS)-8-methylhexahydroindolizin-5-one

Catalytic hydrogenation of dihydroindolizidinone occurred preferentially from the endo-face giving rapid entry to (8R,8aS)-8-methylhexahydroindolizin-5-one, a key intermediate in the synthesis of 5,8-disubstituted indolizidines and deoxypumiliotoxin 251H. The selectivity could be improved further by diimide reduction though this also resulted in some oxidation of the alkene to the diene. The basis of the unusual stereoselectivity in the diimide reduction is believed to be stereoelectronic in origin.     

Enantioselective synthesis of 1-(R)-hydroxypolygodial and its 9α epimer, 1-(R)-hydroxyisotadeonal

The enantioselective synthesis of 1-(R)-hydroxypolygodial and its epimer at C-9 is described. α-Ionone was the starting material. Key steps of these syntheses included a Corey-Bakshi-Shibata oxazaborolidine-mediated reduction and a stereoselective Diels-Alder reaction. No vanilloid activity was detected for both compounds in assays on VR1 vanilloid receptor in HEK cells transfected with the human VR1.     

Total synthesis of (R)-(+)-goniothalamin and (R)-(+)-goniothalamin oxide: first application of the sulfoxide-modified Julia olefination in total synthesis

A short and efficient synthesis of (R)-(+)-goniothalamin 1 and (R)-(+)-goniothalamin oxide 2 is described. During this approach, the sulfoxide-modified Julia olefination was used as a key step to connect aldehyde 5 to sulfoxide 6. The desired styryl-containing adduct is obtained in good yield and with excellent E/Z selectivity.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (R)-(+)-1-methoxyspirobrassinin, (2R,3R)-(−)-1-methoxyspirobrassinol methyl ether and their enantiomers or diastereoisomers

Stereoselective synthesis of cruciferous indole phytoalexin (R)-(+)-1-methoxyspirobrassinin and its unnatural (S)-(−)-enantiomer was achieved by spirocyclization of 1-methoxybrassinin in the presence of (+)- and (−)-menthol and subsequent oxidation of the obtained menthyl ethers. Methanolysis of menthyl ethers in the presence of TFA afforded (2R,3R)-(−)-1-methoxyspirobrassinol methyl ether as well its unnatural (2S,3S)-, (2R,3S)-, and (2S,3R)-isomers.