Asymmetric total synthesis of (-)-saframycin A from L-tyrosine

The asymmetric total synthesis of (-)-saframycin A, a natural antitumor product of the tetrahydroisoquinoline antitumor antibiotics family, has been accomplished by employing L-tyrosine as the starting chiral building block in 24 steps for the longest linear sequence in an overall yield of 9.7%. The key steps in the synthesis involve stereoselective intermolecular and intramolecular Pictet-Spengler reactions, which induced the correct stereochemistry at C-1 and C-11, respectively. The selective protection-deprotection protocol of an amino group in the two-step transformation from intermediate 10 to 12 and a hydroxyl group in the first two steps resulted in both high selectivity and efficiency of the synthetic route.     

First enantioselective synthesis of (−)-talaumidin, a neurotrophic diaryltetrahydrofuran-type lignan

The first enantioselective total synthesis of a neurotrophic (−)-talaumidin (1) is described in 16 steps from 4-benzyloxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde in ca. 10.7% overall yield, and thus has established the absolute configurations of the four stereogenic centers C-2 ∼ C-5 of 1. The synthesis features the construction of the two successive chiral centers C-2 and C-3 by Evans asymmetric anti-aldol protocol as well as of the two chiral centers C-4 and C-5 in a highly stereocontrolled fashion by hydroboration/oxidation and epimerization, followed by Friedel-Crafts arylation.     

Assignment of absolute stereochemistry and total synthesis of (-)-spongidepsin

[structure: see text] An enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-spongidepsin (2) and elucidation of the absolute stereochemistry of its four stereocenters are described. Spongidepsin (2), a 13-membered depsipeptide isolated from the Vanuatu marine sponge Spongia sp., has shown potent antitumor properties against a variety of NCI tumor cell lines. Our synthesis is convergent, and the absolute stereochemistry of four of the five chiral centers was assigned through synthesis.     

Synthesis of PPAR agonist via asymmetric hydrogenation of a cinnamic acid derivative and stereospecific displacement of (S)-2-chloropropionic acid

The synthesis of the peroxime proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) alpha,gamma-agonist (1) was accomplished with high enantio- and diastereoselectivity by employing an asymmetric hydrogenation strategy, of an alpha-alkoxy cinnamic acid derivative, to set the C-2 chiral center. A diastereospecific S(N)2 displacement under mild basic conditions established the C-10 stereochemistry without any detectable racemization of the two epimerizable chiral centers.     

Stereoselective total synthesis of (-)-perrottetinene and assignment of its absolute configuration

The first stereoselective total synthesis of the bibenzyl tetrahydrocannabinol, (-)-perrottetinene, has been achieved from readily available starting materials. The absolute stereochemistry is derived from a chiral gamma-hydroxy vinylstannane. The key reaction is the synthesis of the cis-disubstituted cyclohexene ring of perrottetinene by diastereoselective Ireland-Claisen rearrangement and a ring-closing metathesis reaction. The absolute configuration of (-)-perrottetinene is proposed.     

The total synthesis of (-)-SNF4435 C and (+)-SNF4435 D

The size and positioning of substituents on a tetraene, along with the Woodward-Hoffmann rules, control the relative stereochemistry at the four adjacent chiral centers that are generated in the 8pi/6pi electrocyclization cascade. A biomimetic synthesis of (-)-SNF4435 C and (+)-SNF4435 D exploits these steric effects and allows confirmation of the predicted absolute stereochemistry of the natural products.     

Enantioselective synthesis of natural (−)-tochuinyl acetate, (−)-dihydrotochuinyl acetate and (+)-β-cuparenone using both enantiomers of the same building block

The first enantioselective synthesis of tochuinyl acetate and dihydrotochuinyl acetate, two natural marine products isolated from Tochuina tetraquetra and Gersemia rubiformis, has been achieved starting from an enantiopure building block. The key feature of the present synthesis is complete control of two vicinal quaternary stereogenic centers present in the natural products and elucidation of their absolute stereochemistry, which was previously unknown. Furthermore, starting from the enantiomer of the same building block, the applied methodology provided a new approach towards natural (R)-(+)-β-cuparenone.     

Stereoselective construction of the pyrrolizidine bridgehead stereochemistry by the adjacent hydroxyl group in the synthesis of (+)-heliotridine and (−)-retronecine

Formal total synthesis of (+)-heliotridine (4) and total synthesis of (−)-retronecine (5) were accomplished by using (S)-3-acetoxysuccinimide (6) as the common starting material. The stereogenic center of 6 ended up as C-1 in both alkaloids. The chiral centers at C-7a of the alkaloids were stereoselectively constructed through the help of the adjacent functionality at C-1. The B-rings of the alkaloids were formed through α-sulfonyl radical cyclizations.     

Total synthesis and complete assignment of the stereostructure of a cytotoxic bromotriterpene polyether (+)-aurilol

The plane structure and partial stereochemistry of a cytotoxic bromotriterpene polyether (+)-aurilol (1), isolated from the sea hare Dolabella auricularia, were mainly elucidated by NMR methods; however, determination of the entire stereochemistry has not been reached. Although there have also been many other types of triterpene polyethers, it is often difficult to determine their stereostructures even by the current highly advanced spectroscopic methods, especially in acyclic systems including quaternary carbon centers such as C10-C11, C14-C15, and C18-C19 in 1. In this paper, we report that the total assignment of the incomplete stereostructure of (+)-aurilol (1) to the structural formula 2 has been accomplished through its first asymmetric total synthesis featuring the highly regio- and stereocontrolled biogenetic-like A-D ether ring formations.     

Stereoselective total synthesis of (+)-oploxyne A, (-)-oploxyne B, and their C-10 epimers and structure revision of natural oploxyne B

The first total synthesis of recently isolated diacetylene alcohols oploxyne A, oploxyne B, and their C-10 epimers was accomplished. The structure of natural oploxyne B has been revised. The key steps involved are base-induced double elimination of a carbohydrate-derived β-alkoxy chloride to generate the chiral acetylenic alcohol and Cadiot-Chodkiewicz cross-coupling reaction. The target compounds displayed potent cytotoxicity against neuroblastoma and prostate cancer cell lines.     

Studies on the total synthesis of sanglifehrin A: stereoselective synthesis of the C(29)-C(39) fragment

A highly stereoselective synthesis of the C(29)-C(39) fragment of the potent immunosuppressant sanglifehrin A has been accomplished by a sequence involving 16 steps (18% overall yield) from N-propionyloxazolidinone 9. Key steps are a diastereoselective hydroboration, and a diastereoselective epoxidation of an allylic alcohol followed by a 1,5-anti boron-mediated aldol reaction of methyl ketone 4 with chiral aldehyde 5.     

Chemical transformation of prostaglandin-A2: a novel series of C-10 halogenated, C-12 hydroxylated prostaglandin-A2 analogues

[reaction: see text] Synthesis of a novel class of C-10 halogenated and C-12 oxygenated prostaglandin-A(2) derivatives (6a-6c) has been accomplished. (15S)-Prostaglandin-A(2) (1), from the gorgonian Plexaura homomalla, served as the starting material for the synthesis. The absolute configuration was determined using NMR.     

Synthesis of the C(21)-C(26) fragment of superstolide A: concerning the stereochemistry of (E)-crotylboration reactions of alaninal derivatives

A stereoselective synthesis of the C(21)-C(26) fragment of superstolide A has been completed. The absolute and relative stereochemistry of intermediate 14 has been conclusively proven by NMR and X-ray diffraction methods. In the course of this work, it was found that the stereochemistry of 3 had been misassigned in our previously reported synthesis of the C(18)-C(26) segment. This error stems from the unexpected diastereoselectivity in the double asymmetric reaction of N-acetyl-d-alaninal 1 and the tartrate ester modified (E)-crotylboronate (R,R)-2.     

Asymmetric synthesis of all the known phlegmarine alkaloids

The asymmetric synthesis of all four of the known natural phlegmarines and one synthetic derivative has been accomplished in 19-22 steps from 4-methoxy-3-(triisopropylsilyl)pyridine. Chiral N-acylpyridinium salt chemistry was used twice to set the stereocenters at the C-9 and C-2' positions of the phlegmarine skeleton. Key reactions include the use of a mixed Grignard reagent for the second N-acylpyridinium salt addition, zinc/acetic acid reduction of a complex dihydropyridone, and a von Braun cyanogen bromide N-demethylation of a late intermediate. These syntheses confirmed the absolute stereochemistry of all of the known phlegmarines.     

Approach toward the total synthesis of orevactaene. 2. Convergent and stereoselective synthesis of the C18-C31 domain of orevactaene. Evidence for the relative configuration of the side chain

The synthesis of the C18-C31 subunit of orevactaene (1) in an enantioselective and convergent manner is reported. Four chiral centers in the structure (i.e., carbons 23, 25, 32, and 33) have unknown configuration; thus, a modular approach has been devised to link the two stereocenter-containing ends of the structure together via a trisubstituted olefin template to ultimately produce all possible diastereomers of the target. Keys to the success of this approach include (i) an efficient synthesis of four diastereomeric hydrophobic tails (C22-C29) of the molecule with two stereogenic centers at C23 and C25; (ii) the synthesis of three stereodefined trisubstituted olefins 37, 38, and 43 using palladium(0)-catalyzed hydrometalation and metallometalation; and (iii) the convergent assembly of the aforementioned sections by a 'one-pot' lithium/halogen exchange, boron/lithium exchange, borate ester saponification, and Suzuki cross-coupling followed by oxidative deprotection. The sequence provided the desired aldehydes 49 and 50 as single isomers in good yields. Compiled spectroscopic data from the literature and present work provides evidence that the relative configuration of the methyl groups in the side chain of orevactaene may be 1,3-syn, which will be confirmed when the total synthesis has been completed. These results have paved the way for a parallel synthesis approach to prepare all 16 possible stereoisomers of orevactaene so that the relative and absolute stereochemistry of this compound can be determined.     

Permanganate oxidation of 1,5,9-trienes: stereoselective synthesis of tetrahydrofuran-containing fragments

Permanganate oxidation of farnesoate esters 12a-d afforded perhydro-2,2'-bifuranyl compounds 16a-d, with control of relative stereochemistry at four new stereocenters. Subsequent oxidative cleavage of 16a-d then provided tetrahydrofuran-containing fragments 17a-d, one of them 17b possessing the same relative stereochemistry present in the C13-C21 portion of the polyether antibiotic semduramycin (1). Control of the absolute stereochemistry was achieved through the use of the Oppolzer sultam chiral auxiliary. The requisite starting trienes were prepared stereoselectively in just three steps from geranyl chloride or neryl chloride, providing a short and versatile route to polyether fragments.     

De novo formal synthesis of (-)-virginiamycin M2 via the asymmetric hydration of dienoates

A de novo approach to the formal total synthesis of the macrolide natural product (-)-virginiamycin M2 has been achieved via a convergent approach. The absolute and relative stereochemistry of the nonpeptide portion of (-)-virginiamycin M2 was introduced by two Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation reactions.     

Total synthesis of (+)-amphidinolide A. Structure elucidation and completion of the synthesis

The structure elucidation of (+)-amphidinolide A, a cytotoxic macrolide, has been accomplished by employing a combination of NMR chemical shift analysis and total synthesis. The 20-membered ring of amphidinolide A was formed by a ruthenium-catalyzed alkene-alkyne coupling to forge the C15-C16 bond. Using the reported structure 1 as a starting point, a number of diastereomers of amphidinolide A were prepared. Deviations of the chemical shift of key protons in each isomer relative to the natural material were used as a guide to determine the locations of the errors in the relative stereochemistry. The spectroscopic data for the synthetic and natural material are in excellent agreement.     

The synthesis of deoxyfusapyrone. 1. An approach to the pyrone moiety

An effective synthesis of the C1-C10 component of deoxyfusapyrone has been achieved that will allow for the synthesis of both the (R) and (S) form of the C-8 chiral center starting from optically pure (+)- and (-)-3,3-dimethyl-2-hydroxy-gammalactone (pantolactone).     

Carotenoids and related polyenes, part 12. First total synthesis and absolute configuration of 3'-deoxycapsanthin and 3,4-didehydroxy-3'-deoxycapsanthin

The synthesis of 3'-deoxycapsanthin (1) and 3,4-didehydroxy-3'-deoxycapsanthin (2), carotenoids of paprika, has been achieved by employing Lewis acid-promoted regio- and stereoselective rearrangement of the C(15)-epoxy dienal 5a. The absolute stereochemistry of the newly formed C-5 chiral center of rearrangement product 6a was determined to be (R) from its alternative synthesis derived from (+)-(R)-camphonanic acid (11).