Biotransformation of (+)-(1R,2S)-fenchol by the larvae of common cutworm (Spodoptera litura)

Biotransformation of (+)-(1R,2S)-fenchol by the larvae of Spodoptera litura was carried out. Substrate was converted to three new terpenoids, (+)-(1R,2S)-10-hydroxyfenchol, (+)-(1R,2R,3S)-8-hydroxyfenchol and (−)-(1S,2S,6S)-6-exo-hydroxyfenchol, and one known terpenoid, (−)-(1R,2R,3R)-9-hydroxyfenchol. These structures were established by NMR, IR, specific rotation and mass spectral studies.     

Formation of chiral 21-helical columnar host system with phenylacetylene unit by using (1R,2S)-2-amino-1,2-diphenylethanol

A tunable supramolecular phenylacetylene host system with a chiral channel-like cavity is developed by using (1R,2S)-2-amino-1,2-diphenylethanol. This host system possesses a chiral 2₁-helical columnar structure; chiral cavities are constructed by the self-assembly of the 2₁-helical column, and guest molecules are included by varying the packing of this column.     

Asymmetric synthesis of (−)-(S,S)-homaline

The asymmetric synthesis of (−)-(S,S)-homaline was achieved in 8 steps from commercially available starting materials using the diastereoselective conjugate addition of the novel lithium amide reagent lithium (R)-N-(3-chloropropyl)-N-(α-methyl-p-methoxybenzyl)amide to methyl cinnamate to install the correct stereochemistry. Subsequent functional group manipulation of the resultant β-amino ester and Sb(OEt)₃-mediated macrolactamisation was followed by homodimerisation to give (−)-(S,S)-homaline in 18% overall yield, representing the first asymmetric, and by far the most efficient synthesis of this natural product reported to date.     

(1R,2R)-DPEN-derived triazolium salts for enantioselective oxodiene Diels-Alder reactions

Enantioselective oxodiene Diels-Alder reactions catalyzed by (1R,2R)-DPEN-derived triazolium salts were realized successfully. With 0.5 mol % of (1R,2R)-DPEN-derived triazolium salt C and 150 mol % of Et₃N, the reactions of various α-chloroaldehydes (α-bromoaldehyde) with substituted enones led to 3,4-dihydropyridinones and their derivatives in good yields, diastereoselectivities, and enantioselectivities (up to 97% ee).     

Synthesis and characterization of polybinaphthalene incorporating chiral (R) or (S)-1,1′-binaphthalene and oxadiazole units by Heck reaction

Chiral conjugated polymers P-1 and P-2 were synthesized by the polymerization of (R)-3,3′-diiodo-2,2′-bisbutoxy-1,1′-binaphthalene ((R)-M-1) and (S)-3,3′-diiodo-2,2′-bisbutoxy-1,1′-binaphthalene ((S)-M-1) with 2,5-bis(4-vinylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (M-2) under Pd-catalyzed Heck coupling reaction, respectively. Both monomers and polymers were analysed by NMR, MS, FT-IR, UV, DSC-TG, fluorescent spectroscopy, GPC and CD spectra. The chiral conjugated polymers exhibit strong Cotton effect in their circular dichroism (CD) spectra indicating a high rigidity of polymer backbone. CD spectra of polymers P-1 and P-2 are almost identical and have opposite signs for their position. These polymers have strong blue fluorescence.     

Biomimetically inspired total synthesis of (12S)-12-hydroxymonocerin and (12R)-12-hydroxymonocerin

A concise asymmetric total synthesis of (12S)-12-hydroxymonocerin (1) and (12R)-12-hydroxymonocerin (2) were efficiently achieved from the known 4-bromo-2,6-dimethoxyphenol. The synthetic approach was inspired by our biomimetic synthesis of (+)-monocerin (3) and 7-O-demethylmonocerin (4). The cis-fused furobenzopyranones of 1 and 2 was efficiently constructed via an intramolecular nucleophilic trapping of a quinonemethide intermediate, which was obtained by benzylic oxidation of compound 10 using 2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ).     

Practical synthesis of (2S,3R)-3-hydroxy-3-methylproline, a constituent of papuamides, using a diastereoselective tandem Michael-aldol reaction

(2S,3R)-3-Hydroxy-3-methylproline, a constituent of cyclodepsipeptides polyoxypeptins A and B, was efficiently synthesized by lithium chloride-induced diastereoselective tandem Michael-aldol reaction using methyl vinyl ketone and N-1-naphthylsulfonylglycine (R)-binaphthyl ester and subsequent hydrolysis of the product in 39% overall yield and five steps.     

Chiral self-assembly of triorganotin complexes: Syntheses, characterization, crystal structures and antitumor activity of organotin(IV) complexes containing (R)-(+)-methylsuccinic acid, (S)-(+)-methylglutaric acid and l-(−)-malic acid ligands

Six new chiral triorganotin(IV) complexes, {(R₃Sn)₂[C₃H₆(COO)₂]}_n (R = Me: 1; Bu: 2), {(R₃Sn)₂[C₄H₈(COO)₂]}_n (R = Me: 3; Bu: 4), and {(R₃Sn)₂[C₂H₄O(COO)₂]}_n (R = Me: 5; Bu: 6) have been prepared by treatment of (R)-(+)-methylsuccinic acid, (S)-(+)-methylglutaric acid and l-(−)-malic acid, with the corresponding R₃SnCl (R = Me, Bu) and sodium ethoxide in methanol. All the complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, NMR (¹H, ¹³C, ¹¹⁹Sn) spectroscopy and TGA. Except for 3, all of the complexes were also characterized by X-ray crystallography. The structural analyses reveal that complexes 1 and 5 have 2D network structures in which (R)-(+)-methylsuccinic acid and l-(−)-malic acid act as tetradentate ligands coordinated to trimethyltin(IV) ions. Complexes 2 and 4 have 3D metal-organic framework structures in which the deprotoned acids serve as tetradentate ligands. Complex 6 adopts a 1D zigzag chain structure and forms a 2D supramolecular framework through intermolecular C-H?O interactions. In addition, the antitumor activities of complexes 1-6 have been studied. We also have measured the specific rotation of the chiral dicarboxylic acids and the organotin derivatives.     

Syntheses and X-ray structures of Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes of N,N′-dibenzyl-(R,R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane and application to nitroaldol reaction

Chiral Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes with N,N′-dibenzyl-(R,R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane ligands were synthesized and characterized. X-ray crystal structures of these complexes reveal that Cu complex has the distorted square-planar geometry and the Zn one has the nearly tetrahedral pattern. The coordination of metals to the chiral diamine ligand leads to a 5-membered metallaheterocycle of (S,S)-configuration of nitrogen atoms. Their asymmetric catalytic activities to nitroaldol reaction of benzaldehyde and nitromethane were examined. The difference of the geometry around metals leads to the opposite preferential configuration of alcohol products using these chiral complexes as asymmetric catalysts in the presence of triethylamine or diisopropylethylamine.     

Transformation of esters into allyl halides via substituted cyclopropanols. Application in the synthesis of (2S,3R,7R/S)-3,7-dimethyltridec-2-yl acetate and propionate, sex attractants of pine sawfly Diprion pini

A convenient new approach to the synthesis of the acetate and the propionate of (2S,3R,7R/S)-3,7-dimethyltridecan-2-ol, sex attractants of Diprion pini L., using the cyclopropanation of the ethoxycarbonyl group in O-THP protected ethyl (S)-lactate with ethylmagnesium bromide in the presence of titanium(IV) isopropoxide followed by C-2-C-3 cyclopropane ring opening as the key steps has been performed.     

New S,O-acetals from (1R)-(−)-myrtenal as chiral auxiliaries in nucleophilic additions

Treatment of hydroxythiol 4 with α,α-diethoxyacetophenone at room temperature yielded a mixture of epimeric S,O-acetals 6 and 7 (1:4, 92% yield), which were efficiently separated by flash chromatography. The OTBS derivatives 8 and 9 were treated with several Grignard reagents to afford carbinols 10 and 13 respectively (85-99% yield, >95% dr). After successive hydrolysis and reduction of 10 and 13 it is possible to obtain either enantiomer of diols 16 in high optical purity (>95% er).     

Stereoselective synthesis of (+)-(8R,8aR)-perhydro-8-indolizidinol

A highly stereoselective total synthesis of (+)-(8R,8aR)-perhydro-8-indolizidinol is described. Key steps involved in this synthesis are diastereoselective zinc allylation, azido-olefin cyclization and reductive amination followed by cyclization which effectively constructed the indolizidine ring. This contributes a unique approach to the synthesis of indolizidine alkaloids that offers the advantages of brevity and relatively high overall yields.     

The fragmentation reaction of 16R-bromopregnane-3S,20S-diol

16R-Bromopregnane-3S,20S-diol reacted with potassium t-butoxide to afford androst-16-en-3S-ol in a moderate yield via fragmentation reaction. The latter is a key intermediate for the synthesis of 5α-androst-16-en-3-one, as boar sex pheromone, and other steroidal drugs. In addition, 16R,20S-epoxypregnane-3S-ol was also obtained as a major product by changing the reaction solvent.     

Total syntheses of (R)-argentilactone and (R)-goniothalamin via catalytic enantioselective allylation of aldehydes

The total syntheses of (R)-argentilactone (five steps, 25% overall yield) and (R)-goniothalamin (three steps, 61% overall yield) have been described through the enantioselective catalytic allylation of aldehydes (including a propargylic aldehyde) which provided a rapid access to these natural products that display very interesting biological activities.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of a dichloro zinc complex of N,N′-bis-(2,6-dichloro-benzyl)-(R,R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane: Application to ring opening polymerization of rac-lactide

A novel dichloro zinc complex (L¹)ZnCl₂, where L¹ is N,N′-bis-(2,6-dichloro-benzyl)-(R,R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane, has been synthesized and characterized. The dimethyl derivatives, generated in situ from the well characterized dichloro zinc complexes (L¹)ZnCl₂ and (L²)ZnCl₂, where L² is N,N′-bis-(benzyl)-(R,R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane, were employed as initiators for the ring opening polymerization (ROP) of rac-lactide (rac-LA). The complexes were found to be highly efficient initiators yielding the polylactide (PLA) with a narrow molecular weight distribution. The catalytic activity and heterotactic selectivity of the Zn(II) complexes were affected by the substituents on the phenyl groups of benzyl moieties in (R,R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane. The dimethyl derivative of (L²)ZnCl₂ produced highly stereocontrolled PLA with P_r = 0.75 at −25 °C.     

Radical mediated stereoselective synthesis of (4R,8R)-4,8-dimethyldecanal, an aggregation pheromone of Tribolium flour beetles

(4R,8R)-4,8-Dimethyldecanal, a common aggregation pheromone of Tribolium flour beetles, has been synthesized from (R)-2,3-O-isopropylideneglyceraldehyde in 11 steps and 7% overall yield. The key step in the synthesis is the highly diastereoselective chelation-controlled radical reaction of ethyl (4S,5R)-4-benzyloxy-5,6-(isopropylidenedioxy)-2-methylenehexanoate with ethyl (R)-5-iodo-3-methylpentanoate performed in the presence of 7 equiv of MgBr₂·OEt₂.     

Pheromone synthesis. Part 244: Synthesis of the racemate and enantiomers of (11Z,19Z)-CH503 (3-acetoxy-11,19-octacosadien-1-ol), a new sex pheromone of male Drosophila melanogaster to show its (S)-isomer and racemate as bioactive

The enantiomers of (11Z,19Z)-3-acetoxy-11,19-octacosadien-1-ol were synthesized from the enantiomers of 3,4-epoxy-1-butanol PMB ether. Its racemate was also synthesized. Its (S)-isomer and racemate were shown to possess the same pheromone activity as CH503, a long-lived inhibitor of male courtship in Drosophila melanogaster, although the racemate was less active.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (−)-allosedamine and (1R,3R)-HPA-12 from β-p-toluenesulfonamido-γ,δ-unsaturated sulfoxide

A stereoselective synthesis of (−)-allosedamine and HPA-12 is disclosed. The key steps of the synthesis include the diastereoselective synthesis of a β-sulfonamido unsaturated sulfoxide, elaboration of a bromohydrin via intramolecular sulfinyl group participation and a ring-closing metathesis reaction for the construction of the piperidine ring of allosedamine.     

(R)-4-Hydroxymethyl-2-phenyl-4,5-dihydrooxazol-4-ylmethyl acetate: chiral building block for the synthesis of optically active α-substituted α-amino acid derivatives

(R)-4-Hydroxymethyl-2-phenyl-4,5-dihydrooxazol-4-ylmethyl acetate was efficiently obtained by lipase-catalyzed asymmetrization of the prochiral diol. (R)-4-Hydroxymethyl-2-phenyl-4,5-dihydrooxazol-4-ylmethyl acetate was converted to (R)-2-(hydroxymethyl)glutamic acid and a synthetic intermediate of (−)-deoxydysibetaine.     

A convenient and efficient synthesis of (S)-lysine and (S)-arginine homologues via olefin cross-metathesis

A convenient five step synthesis of (S)-homolysine, incorporating a key olefin cross-metathesis step in the chain extension methodology, has been developed, together with a six step related synthesis of a new homologue of arginine, (S)-bishomoarginine.