Oxymercuration of homoallylic alcohol derived hemiacetals: diastereoselective synthesis of protected 1,3-diols

[reaction: see text] Protected 1,3-diol synthons may be synthesized efficiently from homoallyic alcohols and simple aldehydes by oxymercuration of the derived hemiacetals. The reactions are diastereoselective and proceed without the use of solvent. Both Hg(OAc)2 and HgClOAc are effective in the reaction, and the latter produces isolable organomercurial chlorides directly.     

Practical one-pot stereospecific preparation of vicinal and 1,3-diols

A facile one-pot synthesis providing vicinal diols and 1,3-diols in >95% stereoisomeric purity from commercially available enantiopure hydroxy esters has been developed. The esters were reduced with DIBALH and alkylated in situ with 4-pentenylmagnesium bromide, which after workup generated the title diols as diastereomeric pairs. These pairs were easily separated by preparative chromatography, affording products with retained stereoisomeric purity from the starting materials. This method represents an expedient preparation of many common natural products, such as cerambycid beetle pheromones and intermediates towards bicyclic acetal bark beetle pheromones.     

Stereoselective synthesis of the C14-C24 degraded fragment of symbiodinolide

Symbiodinolide is a polyol macrolide isolated from the marine dinoflagellate Symbiodinium sp. in 2007. The C14-C24 fragment of symbiodinolide possessing the 17R/18R/21R absolute configuration, which was obtained as one of the degraded products of symbiodinolide, was synthesized stereoselectively from cis-2-butene-1,4-diol. The detailed comparison of the synthetic product with the degraded product in the spectroscopic data confirmed that the stereostructure of the C14-C24 fragment was 17R, 18R, and 21R.     

Total synthesis of the ionophore antibiotic ionomycin. Asymmetric synthesis of the C1-C10 and C11-C16 synthons

Asymmetric synthesis of the synthons 1 and 3 are described. Absolute stereochemical relationships in these intermediates have been established via chiral enolate and directed hydrogenation processes.     

Highly selective reduction of acyclic beta-alkoxy ketones to protected syn-1,3-diols

[reaction: see text] The conversion of 1-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl-protected beta-hydroxy ketones to syn-1,3-ethylidene acetals is effected by Et(3)SiH and SnCl(4). This reaction is proposed to proceed via a cyclic oxocarbenium ion intermediate and provides the products in yields that range from 69 to 94% and with diastereoselectivities that are >200:1.     

A second-generation synthesis of the C1-C28 portion of the altohyrtins (spongistatins)

A practical second-generation synthesis of an advanced intermediate in our total synthesis of altohyrtin C (spongistatin 2) has been developed. A new approach to the C1-C15 (AB) portion features a vinyllithium addition to an aldehyde followed by a palladium-catalyzed allylic reduction to install the troublesome C13-C15 segment. Our general approach to the C16-C28 (CD) spiroketal has been retained, but some improvements have been made. Most notably, the kinetically controlled CD-spiroketalization reaction now proceeds in high yield with excellent diastereoselection. This new strategy uses the anti-aldol coupling used in our first-generation synthesis to join AB and CD fragments. A total of 9.6 g of intermediate 57 has been produced using this improved route.     

Convergent highly stereoselective preparation of the C12-C24 fragment of macrolactin A

The convergent synthesis of the C12-C24 fragment (lower part) of macrolactin A is described. The adapted strategy allowed building up the lower moiety by the assembly of three key intermediates via organometallic addition. One hydroxylic stereogenic center was introduced by the application of chiral sulfoxides methodology on fragment C19-C24. The preparation of the versatile 1,3-anti diol synthon C12-C16 was achieved via opening of chiral epoxide and subsequent oxidation to a hydroxy ketone. Finally, reductive elimination of the appropriate allylic dibenzoate with Na/Hg introduced directly the C16-C19 (E,E)-diene unit, in a highly efficient stereoselective fashion.     

Stereoconvergent synthesis of the C1-C11 and C12-C24 fragments of (−)-macrolactin-A

Stereoconvergent syntheses of the C1-C11 and C12-C24 fragments of (−)-macrolactin-A are reported.     

Asymmetric synthesis of the northern half C1-C16 of the bryostatins

Starting from 8-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-6-en-3-one and racemic 2,2-dimethyl-8-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-6-en-3-one, the C1-C16 segment of the bryostatins has been synthesized in 30 steps and 9% overall yield (17 steps longest linear sequence). Fragment coupling by dithiane strategy and protecting group manipulations provided an advanced chemodifferentiated northern half segment.     

Highly demanding cross-metathesis in the synthesis of the C16-C30 fragment of dolabelide C

A highly demanding cross-metathesis (CM) reaction for the formation of the C24-C25 trisubstituted olefin of dolabelide C has been optimized. A difference in reactivity between the E and Z enone isomers in this reaction was uncovered, and the selection of the Z isomer of the starting enone was critical for the success of the cross-metathesis. Application to the synthesis of the C16-C30 fragment of dolabelide C is reported.     

Enantioselective preparation of C2-symmetrical 1,4-diols

The catalytic enantioselective addition of functionalized dialkylzincs to the γ-alkoxyaldehydes 5, 6 and 7 provides 1,4-diols 1–3 with 73–99 %ee. After a simple reaction sequence, these diols are converted to chiral γ-alkoxyaldehydes which undergo a second catalytic enantioselective addition of the same diorganozinc providing C₂-symmetrical 1,4-diols 10a–f with excellent diastereoselectivity (up to 97 : 3).     

Diastereoselective dihydroxylation and regioselective deoxygenation of dihydropyranones: a novel protocol for the stereoselective synthesis of C1-C8 and C15-C21 subunits of (+)-discodermolide

Diastereoselective dihydroxylation of dihydropyranones and subsequent regioselective alpha-deoxygenation provides 1,3-trans-beta-hydroxy-delta-lactones stereoselectively. This protocol has been applied for the synthesis of C(1)-C(8) and C(15)-C(21) subunits of (+)-discodermolide.     

Chiral ytterbium complex-catalyzed direct asymmetric aldol-Tishchenko reaction: synthesis of anti-1,3-diols

The asymmetric aldol-Tishchenko reaction of aromatic aldehydes with aliphatic and aromatic ketones has been developed as an efficient strategy for the synthesis of anti-1,3-diols in good yield with high diastereocontrol and good levels of enantioselectivity. This domino-type reaction is catalyzed by a chiral ytterbium complex that promotes both the aldol reaction through enolization of the carbonyl compound and the Evans-Tishchenko reduction of the aldol intermediate. The stereochemistry of the resulting diols is also investigated and finally proved by using CD techniques.     

Acyclic stereocontrol by heteroconjugate addition — 3 : Diastereoselective synthesis of either syn or anti diastereoisomer

A stereoselective synthesis of both syn- and anti-diastereoisomers (3 and 4) was established by a method involving heteroconjugate addition, as the key step, with various nucleophiles such as alkoxyvinyllithiums which can be functionalized after the addition. Two examples with aliphatic and carboxylic groups are demonstrated in high specificity.     

Studies towards the total synthesis of narbonolide: stereoselective preparation of the C1-C10 fragment

An efficient stereoselective synthesis of the C1-C10 fragment of narbonolide is reported. The stereocentres at C2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 9 in fragment 5 can be generated via an iterative asymmetric acyl-thiazolidinethione aldol reaction, whereas the stereocentre at C6 is installed by means of Myers alkylation.     

Tetrafibricin: synthesis of the C1-C13, C15-C25, and C27-C40 fragments

[structure: see text] A sequence of chemoselective cross-metathesis reactions and enantioselective allyltitanations of aldehydes has been used to prepare the C1-C13, C15-C26, and C27-C40 fragments of tetrafibricin.     

Synthesis of cyclopropanes via organoiron methodology: preparation of the C9-C16 alkenylcyclopropane segment of ambruticin

A synthesis of the C9-C16 segment of ambruticin is described which relies on organoiron methodology to establish the 1,2,3-trisubstituted cyclopropane ring.     

Short synthesis of the C16-C28 polyketide fragment of apoptolidin A aglycone

Starting from (E,E)-1-[(1R)-(phenylethyl)oxy]-2-methylpenta-1,3-diene and triethylsilyl enol ether of butanone rapid access to Koert's advanced C10-C28 polyketide fragment of apoptolidin A is now possible.