A practical synthesis of (+)-discodermolide and analogues: fragment union by complex aldol reactions

A practical stereocontrolled synthesis of (+)-discodermolide (1) has been completed in 10.3% overall yield (23 steps longest linear sequence). The absolute stereochemistry of the C(1)-C(6) (7), C(9)-C(16) (8), and C(17)-C(24) (9) subunits was established via substrate-controlled, boron-mediated, aldol reactions of the chiral ethyl ketones 10, 11, and 12. Key fragment coupling reactions were a lithium-mediated, anti-selective, aldol reaction of aryl ester 8 (under Felkin-Anh induction from the aldehyde component 9), followed by in situ reduction to produce the 1,3-diol 40, and a (+)-diisopinocampheylboron chloride-mediated aldol reaction of methyl ketone 7 (overturning the inherent substrate induction from the aldehyde component 52) to give the (7S)-adduct 58. The flexibility of our overall strategy is illustrated by the synthesis of a number of diastereomers and structural analogues of discodermolide, which should serve as valuable probes for structure-activity studies.     

Synthesis, resolution, and aldol reactions of a planar-chiral Lewis acid complex

The synthesis and resolution of a new planar-chiral Lewis acid complex is described. The compound is applied to asymmetric Mukaiyama aldol reactions, leading to the formation of the desired product with good stereoselectivity. The sense of stereoselection is as predicted by the design, which exploits the ability of the Lewis acid to simultaneously serve as a sigma and a pi acceptor. Mechanistic observations are consistent with rate-determining formation of an aldehyde-Lewis acid complex, followed by rapid nucleophilic addition.     

A Diels-Alder approach to the enantioselective construction of fluoromethylated stereogenic carbon centers

Highly enantioselective Diels-Alder reactions of β-fluoromethylacrylates were carried out in the presence of a Lewis acid activated chiral oxazaborolidine catalyst. These reactions yielded fluoromethylated cyclohexenes, including trifluoromethyl-, difluoromethyl-, and monofluoromethyl cyclohexenes, as nearly pure enantiomers. The resulting fluoromethyl cyclohexenes were converted into potential synthetic intermediates for bioactive compounds.     

Lewis acid catalyzed allylboration: discovery, optimization, and application to the formation of stereogenic quaternary carbon centers

A full account of the development of the first catalytic manifold for the additions of allylboronates to aldehydes is described. The thermal additions (both diastereospecific and enantioselective) of 2-carboxyester 3,3-disubstituted allylboronates 1 to both aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes give biologically and synthetically important exo-methylene butyrolactones 2 containing a beta-quaternary carbon center. Although the thermal reaction requires 14 d at room temperature to reach completion, the presence of certain metal salts allows for a 12-16 h reaction while preserving the diastereospecificity observed in the uncatalyzed process. Preliminary mechanistic studies on the origin of the catalytic effect are described as well as stereoselective transformations of lactones 2 into cyclic and acyclic stereotriads with potential usefulness as synthetic intermediates.     

Iminyl radical-triggered relay annulation for the construction of bridged aza-tetracycles bearing four contiguous stereogenic centers

Bridged tetracyclic nitrogen scaffolds are found in numerous biologically active molecules and medicinally relevant structures. Traditional methods usually require tedious reaction steps, and/or the use of structurally specific starting materials. We report an unprecedented, iminyl radical-triggered relay annulation from oxime-derived peresters and azadienes, which shows good substrate scope and functional group compatibility, and can deliver various bridged aza-tetracyclic compounds with complex molecular topology and four contiguous stereogenic centers (dr > 19 : 1) in a single operation. This transformation represents the first example of trifunctionalization of iminyl radicals through simultaneous formation of one C–N and two C–C bonds. DFT calculation studies were conducted to obtain an in-depth insight into the reaction pathways, which revealed that the reactions involved an interesting 1,6-hydrogen atom transfer process.

A novel radical relay annulation is realized for the construction of various bridged aza-tetracyclic compounds with complex molecular topology and four contiguous stereogenic centers (dr > 19 : 1) in a single operation.     

Readily available (S)-proline-derived organocatalysts for the Lewis acid-mediated Lewis base-catalyzed stereoselective aldol reactions of activated thioesters

A set of enantiomerically pure Lewis bases containing different diphenyl phosphinyl oxide groups were easily synthesized in a straightforward procedure by reaction of readily available proline-based scaffolds and phosphinoyl chlorides. The newly synthesized derivatives were employed (0.1 mol equiv) as organocatalysts in the Lewis acid-mediated Lewis base-promoted direct stereoselective aldol reactions of activated thioesters with aromatic aldehydes, carried out in the presence of tetrachlorosilane and a tertiary amine. β-Hydroxy thioesters were obtained in moderate to high yields, with very high syn diastereoselectivities (dr up to >98:2), and fair enantioselectivities (ee up to 51%). Theoretical studies were performed in order to elucidate the origin of the stereoselection.     

Superior substrate control on diastereoselection in boric Lewis acid-promoted aldol reactions. Asymmetric synthesis of a 3,4-syn homologous series of ethyl 3,5-dihydroxy-2,4-dimethyl-5-phenylpentanoates

The BF₃·OEt₂-promoted aldol reaction of chiral syn- and anti-α-methyl-β-siloxy aldehydes with a silyl ketene acetal resulted in essentially complete syn Felkin selection. Even in the asymmetric aldol reaction using chiral oxazaborolidinones, the substrate control with respect to diastereoselection was found to overcome the promoter (catalyst) control which would normally occur depending on the stereocenter of the chiral boranes.     

Lewis base activation of Lewis acids. Vinylogous aldol addition reactions of conjugated N,O-silyl ketene acetals to aldehydes

N,O-Silyl dienyl ketene acetals derived from unsaturated morpholine amides have been developed as highly useful reagents for vinylogous aldol addition reactions. In the presence of SiCl4 and the catalytic action of chiral phosphoramide (R,R)-3, N,O-silyl dienyl ketene acetal 8 undergoes high-yielding and highly site-selective addition to a wide variety of aldehydes with excellent enantioselectivity. Of particular note is the high yields and selectivities obtained from aliphatic aldehydes. Low catalyst loadings (2-5 mol %) can be employed. The morpholine amide serves as a useful precursor for further synthetic manipulation.     

Lewis acid-aldehyde-solvent interactions. A computational approach for determining the critical amount of THF molecules necessary for achieving a high enantioselection in chiral oxazaborolidinone-promoted asymmetric aldol reactions

The effect of THF as a solvent on the enantioselectivity of oxazaborolidinone-promoted asymmetric aldol reactions of aldehydes with silylketene acetals was investigated. The use of 4-5 M equiv of THF, relative to the chiral borane, was required to achieve a high enantioselectivity. A solvent-modeling study, based on ab initio calculations of intermolecular interactions, revealed the existence of an extended hydrogen bonding network in the resulting assembly, which was composed of THF molecules, the aldehyde, and the oxazaborolidinone. The model rationally provides a spatially suitable active site for controlling the stereochemical outcome of the reaction.     

Enantioselective formal [3+3] annulation for the direct construction of bicyclic skeletons with four stereogenic centers

An enantioselective formal [3+3] annulation reaction of cyclic ketones with enones has been developed. In the presence of 20 mol % of pyrrolidine-thiourea 1a or N-(pyrrolidin-2-ylmethyl)trifluoromethanesulfonamide 1i, the reactions afford bicyclo [3.3.1] adducts in moderate to good yields with good to high enantioselectivities under mild conditions.     

Formation of quaternary stereogenic centers by NHC-Cu-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition reactions with Grignard reagents on polyconjugated cyclic enones

The copper-catalyzed conjugate addition of various Grignard reagents to polyconjugated enones (dienone and enynone derivatives) is reported. The catalyst system, composed of copper triflate and an NHC ligand, led to the unusual selective formation of the 1,4-addition products. This reaction allows for the creation of all-carbon chiral quaternary centers with enantiomeric excesses up to 99%. The remaining unsaturation on the 1,4 adducts give access to valuable synthetic transformations.     

Lewis acid-promoted Baylis-Hillman-type reaction of alpha,beta-unsaturated ethyl thioester with aldehydes without the use of a Lewis base

The Baylis-Hillman-type reaction of alpha,Beta-ethyl thioacrylate with aldehydes has been achieved using diethylaluminium iodide as the promoter without the direct use of any Lewis bases. The reaction provides an effective access to various alpha-methylene-Beta-hydroxy thioesters.     

Effect of stereogenic centers on the self-sorting, depolymerization, and atropisomerization kinetics of porphyrin-based aggregates

We present our results on the mixing of different porphyrin molecules in supramolecular assemblies. Herein, chiral amplification experiments reveal the subtle role of the structural (mis)match between these monomers. We show that according to the "sergeant-and-soldiers" principle, a chiral porphyrin "sergeant" efficiently mixes with achiral "soldiers" in the same helical aggregate and strongly biases its handedness. However, when we mix two porphyrin enantiomers in a majority-rules experiment, no chiral amplification is observed at all, which is due to their narcissistic self-sorting into conglomerate-like aggregates. The mixing between two enantiomers in the same stack only occurs in a diluted-majority-rules experiment, in which enantiomeric mixtures of sergeants are diluted with achiral soldiers. The different outcomes of these chiral amplification phenomena are verified by modeling studies that reveal high mismatch penalties, which are ascribed to the high stereocenter loading of 12 methyl groups onto the monomers. Mixed-metal chiral amplification experiments between copper- and zinc-porphyrins show the same distinction in their mixing behavior, which is further supported by fluorescence measurements. The selective removal of chiral Zn-porphyrins from these mixed-metal systems is performed with the Lewis base quinuclidine that depolymerizes the Zn-porphyrins upon axial ligation. This extraction process proceeds at different time scales, depending on the mixed state: slow extraction kinetics for the mixed sergeant-and-soldiers and diluted-majority-rules systems and an instant extraction for the phase-separated majority-rules system. By simultaneously monitoring the supramolecular chirality during extraction, a chiral memory effect is observed for both mixed systems that show slow extraction kinetics. For the sergeant-and-soldiers system, the remaining supramolecular backbone contains achiral monomers only, which give rise to a long lasting chiral memory with slow, entropy-driven atropisomerization. Yet in case of the diluted-majority-rules system, the remaining backbone contains a mixture of achiral and chiral monomers in its unpreferred helicity; giving rise to a short chiral memory, in which the fast atropisomerization is enthalpy-driven due to the high mismatch penalty.     

Enantioselective construction of quaternary stereogenic carbons by the Lewis base catalyzed additions of silyl ketene imines to aldehydes

Silyl ketene imines derived from a variety of alpha-branched nitriles have been developed as highly useful reagents for the construction of quaternary stereogenic centers via the aldol addition reaction. In the presence of SiCl4 and the catalytic action of chiral phosphoramide (R,R)-5, silyl ketene imines undergo extremely rapid and high yielding addition to a wide variety of aromatic aldehydes with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivity. Of particular note is the high yields and selectivities obtained from electron-rich, electron-poor, and hindered aldehydes. The nitrile function serves as a useful precursor for further synthetic manipulation.     

Strong counteranion effects on the catalytic activity of cationic silicon Lewis acids in Mukaiyama aldol and Diels-Alder reactions

[chemical reaction: see text]. A toluene-coordinated silyl borate, [Et3Si(toluene)]B(C6F5)4, demonstrated catalytic activities significantly higher than those of Me3SiOTf and Me3SiNTf2 in Mukaiyama aldol and Diels-Alder reactions.     

A practical improvement, enhancing the large-scale synthesis of (+)-discodermolide: a third-generation approach

[reaction: see text] A significant improvement to the Penn one-gram synthesis of (+)-discodermolide (1) has been achieved. Specifically, reduction of the steric bulk of the C(11) hydroxyl protecting group permits formation of the requisite AB Wittig salt at the expense of the undesired intramolecular cyclization upon treatment with PPh(3) at ambient pressure.     

Stereocontrolled total synthesis of (+)-concanamycin F: the strategic use of boron-mediated aldol reactions of chiral ketones

A highly stereocontrolled total synthesis of the 18-membered macrolide (+)-concanamycin F, a potent inhibitor of vacuolar ATPases, is described that proceeds in 5.8% yield over 26 steps. The three key fragments, C1-C13 vinyl iodide, C14-C22 vinyl stannane and C23-C28 aldehyde, were efficiently constructed using asymmetric boron-mediated aldol reactions of appropriate chiral ketone building blocks. The nature of the silyl protection of the C7/C9 hydroxyls proved to be critical for achieving macrocyclisation, with TES ethers being superior to a cyclic silylene derivative. Following a Liebeskind-Stille cross-coupling reaction between the C1-C13 vinyl iodide and C14-C22 vinyl stannane fragments to assemble the (12E,14E)-diene, a modified Yamaguchi macrolactonisation delivered the requisite 18-membered macrocyclic core. This advanced intermediate was also obtained by an alternative sequence using an esterification step to connect the C1-C13 and C14-C22 fragments followed by a Pd-catalysed intramolecular Stille reaction to install the (12E,14E)-diene. Conversion of the resulting macrocyclic intermediate into a methyl ketone then enabled a highly diastereoselective Mukaiyama aldol coupling of the derived silyl enol ether with the C13-C28 aldehyde fragment to install the fully elaborated side chain, whereby subsequent global deprotection of the resulting β-hydroxyketone under suitable conditions (TASF followed by p-TsOH) afforded (+)-concanamycin F.