A Concise Total Synthesis of (+)‐Tetrabenazine and (+)‐α‐Dihydrotetrabenazine

Highly concise asymmetric total syntheses of (+)‐tetrabenazine ( 1 ), a drug for the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington’s disease, and of (+)‐α‐dihydrotetrabenazine ( 2 ), an active metabolite of 1 , have been accomplished. Our synthetic route features a trans‐selective enol etherification, followed by an unprecedented cation‐dependent aza‐Claisen rearrangement to establish the carbon framework and two stereogenic centers of tetrabenazine. The syntheses consist of seven steps (34 % overall yield) for (+)‐ 2 and eight steps (22 % overall yield) for (+)‐ 1 .     

Total Synthesis of (+)‐Dibromophakellin and (+)‐Dibromophakellstatin

A new method for the preparation of quaternary chiral aminals has been developed that employs an enamide‐type Overman rearrangement process. This methodology was applied to enantioselective total syntheses of (+)‐dibromophakellin and (+)‐dibromophakellstatin.     

Synthesis of (−)‐Morphine: Application of Sequential Claisen/Claisen Rearrangement of an Allylic Vicinal Diol

A detailed exploration of the synthesis of (?)‐morphine based on sequential [3,3]‐sigmatropic rearrangements is described. The sequential Claisen/Claisen rearrangements of an allylic vicinal diol resulted in the stereoselective formation of the two contiguous carbon centers, including a sterically encumbered quaternary carbon, in a single operation. The two ethyl esters generated in this reaction were successfully differentiated during a subsequent Friedel–Crafts‐type cyclization. The (?)‐morphine double bond was introduced at a late stage in our first‐generation synthesis, but was formed at an earlier stage in the second‐generation synthesis, resulting in a more efficient route to the end product.     

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of the Lignan (+)‐Linoxepin

An enantioselective total synthesis of the natural (+)‐linoxepin ( 1 ) was accomplished in eleven steps from bromovanin ( 24 ). Key steps are a domino carbopalladation/ Mizoroki–Heck reaction with the formation of a pentacyclic system, an asymmetric hydroboration as well as an oxidative lactonization.     

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (+)‐Plumisclerin A

The first and enantioselective total synthesis of (+)‐plumisclerin A, a novel unique complex cytotoxic marine diterpenoid, has been accomplished. Around the central cyclopentane anchorage, a sequential ring‐formation protocol was adopted to generate the characteristic tricycle[4.3.1.0^1,5]decane and trans‐fused dihyrdopyran moiety. Scalable enantioselective La^III‐catalyzed Michael reaction, palladium(0)‐catalyzed carbonylation and SmI₂‐mediated radical conjugate addition were successfully applied in the synthesis, affording multiple grams of the complex and rigid B/C/D‐ring system having six continuous stereogenic centers and two all‐carbon quaternary centers. The trans‐fused dihyrdopyran moiety with an exo side‐chain was furnished in final stage through sequential redox transformations from a lactone precursor, which overcome the largish steric strain of the dense multiring system. The reported total synthesis also confirms the absolute chemistries of natural (+)‐plumisclerin A.     

Total Synthesis of (+)‐Dibromophakellin

Two members of a family of pyrrole–imidazole marine alkaloids, (+)‐dibromophakellin and the nonnatural congener (+)‐phakellin, were synthesized enantioselectively from 4‐hydroxy‐L ‐proline. The chiral aminal at C10 was constructed efficiently by means of an Overman‐type [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangement of an enamide (see scheme).

     

Concise Stereoselective Synthesis of Oxaspirocycles with 1‐Tosyl‐1,2,3‐triazoles: Application to the Total Syntheses of (±)‐Tuberostemospiroline and (±)‐Stemona‐lactam R

A 4‐substituted‐1‐tosyl‐1,2,3‐triazole‐based stereoselective synthesis of structurally diverse oxaspirocycles is reported. The synthesis involves Rh‐catalyzed loss of nitrogen from 4‐substituted‐1‐tosyl‐1,2,3‐triazoles, Grignard reaction, and a ring‐closing metathesis reaction as key steps. By employing readily available and stable 4‐substituted‐1‐tosyl‐1,2,3‐triazoles as surrogates of diazo compounds and nitrogen sources, two types of oxaspirocycles were obtained. The latter compounds, which contain adjacent nitrogen stereocenters, could serve as the core structures of many natural products. This chemistry has been successfully applied to the total syntheses of (±)‐tuberostemospiroline and (±)‐stemona‐lactam R.     

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (+)‐Ophiobolin A

The enantioselective total synthesis of (+)‐ophiobolin A is described. This total synthesis features the construction of the spiro CD ring of (+)‐ophiobolin A through a stereoselective intramolecular Hosomi–Sakurai cyclization reaction, the joining of the A ring to the CD ring by using a reaction reported by Utimoto, and the construction of the ophiobolin eight‐membered carbocyclic ring through ring‐closing metathesis (RCM), which was performed for the first time in this study. This successful RCM reaction required the use of a substrate that contained either a benzyloxy or a methoxymethoxy group at the C5 position and either an isopropenyl group or its hydroxylated form at the C6 position.     

Stereocontrolled Total Synthesis of (+)‐trans‐Dihydronarciclasine

A highly stereoselective and efficient total synthesis of trans‐dihydronarciclasine from a readily available chiral starting material was developed. The synthesis defines two of the five stereogenic centers of the natural product by an amino acid ester–enolate Claisen rearrangement. The other three stereogenic centers are created in a highly stereocontrolled fashion via a six‐ring vinylogous ester intermediate, which is generated from the γ,δ‐unsaturated ester functional group of the Claisen rearrangement product in an efficient three‐step sequence. This concise total synthesis exemplifies the use of a highly regioselective Friedel–Crafts‐type cyclization to form the B ring via an isocyanate intermediate derived from an N‐Boc group, which is superior to the conventional method using an imino triflate intermediate. This same N‐Boc group is employed to give high selectivity in the Claisen rearrangement earlier in the sequence.     

Total Synthesis of (+)‐Pleuromutilin

The first enantiospecific total synthesis of the antibacterial natural product (+)‐pleuromutilin has been achieved. The approach includes the synthesis of a non‐racemic cyclisation substrate from (+)‐trans‐dihydrocarvone, a highly selective SmI₂‐mediated cyclisation cascade, an electron transfer reduction of a hindered ester, and the first efficient conversion of (+)‐mutilin to the target.     

Total Synthesis of (+)‐Cornexistin

Herein, we describe the first total synthesis of (+)‐cornexistin as well as its 8‐epi‐isomer starting from malic acid. The robust and scalable route features a Nozaki–Hiyama–Kishi reaction, an auxiliary‐controlled syn‐Evans‐aldol reaction, and a highly efficient intramolecular alkylation to form the nine‐membered carbocycle. The delicate maleic anhydride moiety of the nonadride skeleton was constructed from a β‐keto nitrile. The developed route enabled the synthesis of 165 mg (+)‐cornexistin.     

Stereoselective Synthesis of 2,6‐Disubstituted Piperidines Using the Iridium‐Catalyzed Allylic Cyclization as Configurational Switch: Asymmetric Total Synthesis of (+)‐241 D and Related Piperidine Alkaloids

Pressing the configurational switch : Use of enantiomeric Ir catalysts allows the vinylpiperidine building blocks 2 a and 2 b to be synthesized with high selectivity. Total syntheses of the dendrobate alkaloid (+)‐241 D, its C6‐epimer, and a spruce alkaloid are presented as applications.

     

Total Synthesis of Tetrahydroquinoline Alkaloid （＋）-Angustureine

( )-(S)-Angustureine was synthesized using a CuI-catalyzed coupling reaction of iodobenzene with an enantiopure β-amino ester as the key step. The overall yield is 36% in 7 linear steps.     

Asymmetric Total Synthesis of (+)‐Ryanodol and (+)‐Ryanodine

(+)‐Ryanodine ( 1 ) is the ester derivative of 1H‐pyrrole‐2‐carboxylic acid and the complex terpenoid (+)‐ryanodol ( 2 ), which possesses eleven contiguous stereogenic centers on the ABCDE‐ring system. Compound 1 is known to be a potent modulator of intracellular calcium release channels, whereas the activity of 2 is significantly weaker. To chemically construct 1 , the multiple oxygen functional groups must be installed on the fused pentacycle in stereoselective fashions and the extremely hindered C3‐hydroxy group must be acylated in a site‐selective manner. First, the total synthesis of 2 was accomplished by introducing the five stereocenters from the previously prepared enantiopure ABDE‐ring 7 . Stereoselective construction of the C3‐secondary, C2‐ and C6‐tertiary alcohols was achieved by three nucleophilic reactions. The C9‐ and C10‐trisubstituted carbon centers were regio‐ and stereoselectively introduced by hydroboration/oxidation of the six‐membered C‐ring, which was formed by the ring‐closing metathesis reaction. Direct esterification of the C3‐alcohol with pyrrole‐2‐carboxylic acid proved unsuccessful; therefore, we developed a new, two‐step protocol for attachment of the pyrrole moiety. The C3‐hydroxy group was first converted into the less sterically cumbersome glycine ester, which was then transformed into the pyrrole ring through condensation with 1,3‐bis(dimethylamino)allylium tetrafluoroborate. This procedure resulted in the first total synthesis of 1 .