Total synthesis of apoptolidin: completion of the synthesis and analogue synthesis and evaluation

The total synthesis of apoptolidin (1) is reported together with the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a number of analogues. The assembly of key fragments 6 and 7 to vinyl iodide 3 via dithiane coupling technology was supplemented by a second generation route to this advanced intermediate involving a Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons coupling of fragments 22 and 25. The final stages of the synthesis featured a Stille coupling between vinyl iodide 3 and vinylstannane 2, a Yamaguchi lactonization, a number of glycosidations, and final deprotection. The developed synthetic technology was applied to the construction of several analogues including 74, 75, and 77 which exhibit significant bioactivity against tumor cells.     

Combinatorial liquid-phase synthesis of

A new method for the synthesis of [1,4]oxazepin-7-ones from readily available aldehydes and alpha-amino alcohols was developed using the Baylis-Hillman reaction as the key step. To determine the scope and limitations of the method, a mixture library was synthesized from six aldehydes and six alpha-amino alcohols on the soluble polymer support poly(ethylene glycol) 5000 monomethyl ether (MeOPEG) via split synthesis and analyzed by GC-EIMS. Those oxazepines that were formed predominantly were resynthesized in a parallel synthesis and fully characterized. Thus, we have shown that split synthesis on MeOPEG can be an efficient method to rapidly screen the substrate spectrum of a newly developed reaction sequence.     

Total synthesis of clavosolide A

For the total synthesis of (−)-clavosolide A described herein, a Schmidt glycosidation reaction was used to attach the sugar moiety at an early stage in the synthesis to the 4-hydroxy group of the substituted tetrahydropyran unit of the molecule, which itself was built following a Ti(III)-mediated method developed by us earlier, and at the end, it was the Yamaguchi reaction that was successfully employed for the cyclodimerization of the two halves of the molecule leading to its total synthesis.     

Diastereoselective synthesis of cyclosaligenyl-nucleosyl-phosphotriesters

A diastereoselective synthesis of cycloSal-phosphotriesters (cycloSal=cycloSaligenyl) based on chiral auxiliaries has been developed that allows the synthesis of single diastereomers of the cycloSal-pronucleotides. In previously described synthesis routes, the cycloSal-compounds were always obtained as 1:1 diastereomeric mixtures that could be separated in only rare cases. However, it was shown that the diastereomers have different antiviral activity, toxicity, and hydrolysis stabilities. Here, first a chiral thiazoline derivative was used to prepare nonsubstituted and 5-methyl-cycloSal-phosphotriesters in 48 and ≥95% de (de=diastereomeric excess). However, this approach failed to give the important group of 3-substituted cycloSal-nucleotides. Therefore, two other chiral groups were discovered that allowed the synthesis of (R(P))- and (S(P))-3-methyl-cycloSal-phosphotriesters as well. The antiviral activity was found to be five- to 20-fold different between the two individual diastereomers, which proved the importance of this approach.     

A concise synthesis of ent-Cholesterol

ent-Cholesterol was synthesized in 16 steps from commercially available (S)-citronellol. The overall yield for the synthesis was 2.0%. This route is amenable to gram-scale preparation of ent-cholesterol. Isotopic incorporation near the end of the synthesis was achieved using labeled methyl iodide. This synthesis is the most practical to date and will make ent-cholesterol more readily available to use as a probe of the function and metabolism of cholesterol.     

Total synthesis of gambierol

The convergent total synthesis of gambierol (1) is described. The octacyclic ether framework of 1 was constructed via the intramolecular allylation of alpha-chloroacetoxy ether followed by ring-closing metathesis. A modified Stille coupling was successfully applied to the synthesis of the triene side chain.     

The total synthesis of psymberin

The total synthesis of a new member of the pederin family of natural products, psymberin 1, was accomplished. Using a recently reported novel and efficient PhI(OAc)2 mediated oxidative entry to 2-(N-acylaminal)-substituted tetrahydropyrans as the key step, this total synthesis was executed in a convergent and efficient manner. The longest linear sequence of this synthesis was 22 steps starting from known 6.     

First synthesis of caerulomycin B. A new synthesis of caerulomycin C

Caerulomycins produced by Streptomyces caeruleus are bipyridinic molecules endowed with antibiotic properties. The first synthesis of caerulomycin B (1) as well as a new synthesis of caerulomycin C (2) are reported. Starting from 3-hydroxypyridine, the same methodology was used to prepare both compounds 1 and 2. Efficiently controlled reactions such as metalation to allow the synthesis of 2,6-diiodo-3,4-dialkoxypyridines, which are key intermediates, and further halogen-lithium exchange and cross-coupling to reach the targets molecules 1 and 2 have been developed.     

A synthesis of camptothecin

A total synthesis of camptothecin has been carried out. Central to our synthesis is the intramolecular condensation of a suitably designed ketol, which in turn was obtained from a tricyclic ABC ring synthon. A tandem reductive amination and Michael addition sequence on an unsaturated quinoline ester was employed for the assembly of the ABC skeleton.     

New synthesis of vaulted biaryl ligands via the Snieckus phenol synthesis

[reaction: see text] In an effort to develop a synthesis of the VAPOL ligand that avoids the use of a chromium carbene complex, a route was examined that involved the annulation of a naphthalene carboxamide via the method of Snieckus. The latter derivatives could be converted in a two-step sequence to 2-phenyl-4-phenanthrols in 60-72% overall yields. The utility of this method for the synthesis of VAPOL derivatives is demonstrated in the synthesis of (S)-7,7'-dimethyl-VAPOL.     

Total synthesis of ingenol

A total synthesis of the biologically important diterpene ingenol has been completed. Ring-closing olefin metathesis was used to construct the strained "inside-outside" tetracyclic skeleton, and a series of diastereoselective reactions were employed to complete the synthesis. Another naturally occurring ingenane, 20-deoxyingenol, has also been prepared.     

An enantioselective synthesis of tarchonanthuslactone

An enantioselective synthesis of tarchonanthuslactone has been achieved in eight steps from ethyl sorbate. The asymmetry of the route was introduced via a Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation allowing access to either enantiomer. The synthesis utilizes a palladium-catalyzed reduction and a diastereoselective base-catalyzed acetal formation as the key steps. The pyran ring of tarchonanthuslactone was established by a Still-olefination/lactonization sequence. DCC-mediated attachment of dihydrocaffeic acid completed the synthesis of tarchonanthuslactone in a 19% overall yield.     

Remarkable solvent effect in Barton-Zard pyrrole synthesis: application in an efficient one-step synthesis of pyrrole derivatives

A unique solvent effect encountered in the Barton-Zard pyrrole synthesis was exploited to develop an efficient synthesis of pyrrole-2-esters. The chemistry was extended to a one-pot synthesis of pyrrole-2,4-dicarboxylates.     

Total synthesis of protomycinolide iv

A 16-membered macrolide antibiotic, protomycinolide IV, was synthesized from two fragments to which the chirality was introduced by asymmetric epoxidation of the appropriately chosen allylic alcohols. A new synthesis of the Prelog-Djerassi lactonic acid from one of the intermediates of the synthesis was also carried out.     

Total synthesis of Tasimelteon

A simple and efficient approach has been accomplished for the total synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) of Tasimelteon which is effective for treatment of non-24-h sleep-wake disorder. Starting from 4-vinyl-2, 3-dihydrobenzofuran, the synthesis involves asymmetric epoxidation, Wittig reaction, reduction of the nitrile group and propionation of the amine. The synthesis was accomplished in four steps in overall 48% yield.     

Total synthesis of (+)-acutiphycin

Synthetic studies toward the total synthesis of (+)-acutiphycin (1) resulted in the discovery of additive-free, highly regioselective nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling reactions of aldehydes and 1,6-enynes and the construction of an advanced intermediate in studies directed toward the synthesis of 1. Ultimately, although not employing the nickel-catalyzed reaction, a highly convergent total synthesis of (+)-acutiphycin featuring an intermolecular SmI2-mediated Reformatsky coupling reaction and macrolactonization initiated by a retro-ene reaction of an alkoxyalkyne was achieved. The resulting synthesis was 18 steps in the longest linear sequence from either methyl acetoacetate or isobutyraldehyde.     

Total synthesis of hectochlorin

Hectochlorin (1) is a marine natural product with significant fungicidal activity. A synthesis effort was initiated to develop a flexible route to hectochlorin which would allow access to analogues with potentially improved activity and/or attributes relative to the natural product. A successful total synthesis of hectochlorin is described. [structure: see text]     

Second-generation synthesis of salvinorin A

Functionalization toward total synthesis of the hallucinogenic neoclerodane diterpenoid salvinorin A was accomplished via three double sequences: bis-enol triflate synthesis, palladium-catalyzed double carbonylation to the bis-enol triflate, and samarium diiodide-mediated double conjugate reduction. The configuration at C-12 was controlled by chelation-controlled diastereoselective reduction.     

Ionic-liquid-supported peptide synthesis demonstrated by the synthesis of Leu(5)-enkephalin

A new strategy for the synthesis of oligopeptides was developed using an ionic liquid as a soluble support. The efficiency of this ionic liquid-phase approach was demonstrated by the synthesis of a bioactive pentapeptide, Leu(5)-enkephalin, in good yield and reasonable purity. The structures and purities of the reaction intermediates in each step were verified easily by routine spectroscopic analysis, and no chromatographic procedures were needed during the synthesis.     

Asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-isocryptotanshinone and formal synthesis of (−)-cryptotanshinone

The first asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-isocryptotanshinone was achieved in 12 linear steps with 12% overall yield from commercially available dihydrobenzopyrone. The key step was a base-mediated cyclization reaction. In addition, the synthetic strategy included the formal synthesis of (−)-cryptotanshinone.