Enantioselective total synthesis of (2R,3R,6R)-N-methyl-6-(deca-1′,3′,5′-trienyl)-3-methoxy-2-methylpiperidine, an insecticidal alkaloid

An insecticidal piperidine alkaloid, (2R,3R,6R)-N-methyl-6-(deca-1′,3′,5′-trienyl)-3-methoxy-2-methylpiperidine, was efficiently synthesized in a stereoselective manner starting from d-alanine. Chiral center at C-6 was controlled by hydrogenation of imine and side chain was introduced by Julia olefination. The absolute configuration of natural product was determined to be 2R, 3R, 6R.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-sarcodictyenone

The first enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-sarcodictyenone is described [4.3% overall yield from (5R,6R)-6-methyl-5-trimethylsily-2-cyclohexenone]. This work establishes the absolute stereochemistry of the natural product.     

Synthesis of all the stereoisomers of 6-methyl-2-octadecanone, 6,14-dimethyl-2-octadecanone, and 14-methyl-2-octadecanone, the components of the female-produced sex pheromone of a moth, Lyclene dharma dharma

All of the stereoisomers of the components of the female-produced sex pheromone of a moth, Lyclene dharma dharma, were synthesized. They are (R)- and (S)-6-methyl-2-octadecanone, (6R,14R)-, (6R,14S)-, (6S,14R)-, and (6S,14S)-6,14-dimethyl-2-octadecanone, and (R)- and (S)-14-methyl-2-octadecanone. Enantiomers of citronellal and methyl (S)-3-hydroxy-2-methylpropanoate were the starting materials, and olefin cross metathesis was employed as the key reaction.     

Isolation,structural assignment and insecticidal activity of (−)-(1S,2R,3R,4S)-1,2-epoxy-1-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-cyclohex-3-yl acetate,a natural product from Minthostachys tomentosa

(−)-(1S,2R,3R,4S)-1,2-Epoxy-1-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-cyclohex-3-yl acetate has previously been identified as the active compound of Minthostachys tomentosa responsible for the insecticidal activity against Oncopeltus fasciatus. Its structure was initially assigned on the basis of spectral data. In order to confirm the structure and to define the stereochemistry, stereoselective synthesis of its enantiomer, (+)-(1R,2S,3S,4R)-1,2-epoxy-1-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-cyclohex-3-yl acetate, starting from (R)-(−)-piperitone, was carried out using a Sharpless reaction as the key step. The natural product is dextro-rotatory while the synthetic product is levo-rotatory. Measurements of insecticidal activities of the different steroisomers revealed that only the natural product is active.     

X-ray structure and in silico molecular docking of a natural phaeosphaeride A derivative for targets associated with kinase cascades

The structure of the lead compound, a natural phaeospha- eride A derivative AV-6, (2S,3R,4R)-3-hydroxy-6-methoxy-3-methyl-7-methylene-2-pentyl-4-pyrrolidin-1-yl-3,4,6,7-tetrahydropyrano[2,3-c]pyrrol-5(2H)-one, was unambiguously determined by X-ray crystallography. When modeling in silico the interaction of AV-6 with targets in kinase cascades, high values of the binding energy (below –9 kcal mol^-1) for some protein targets were shown. Our results identified that MAPK11, MAPK12 and AKT1 could be targets of AV-6.     

Synthesis of (−)- and (+)-8-fluoro-galanthamine

The synthesis of racemic 8-fluorogalanthamine and its separation into (−)- and (+)-8-fluorogalanthamine (= (4aS,6R,8aS)- and (4aR,6S,8aR)-1-fluoro-4a,5,9,10,11,12-hexahydro-3-methoxy-11-methyl-6H-benzofuro[3a,3,2-ef][2]benzazepin-6-ol) is described.     

Total synthesis of (+)-myxothiazols A and Z

The first synthesis of (+)-myxothiazol A 1 was achieved based on a modified Julia olefination between (3,5R)-dimethoxy-(4R)-methyl-6-oxo-(2E)-hexenamide 3, corresponding to the left side of the final molecule, and 4-(2″-benzothiazolyl)sulfonylmethyl-2′-[(1′″R),6′″-dimethylhepta-(2′″E),(4′″E)-dienyl]-2,4′-bithiazole 6, corresponding to the right side. The synthesis of (+)-myxothiazol Z 2 was also achieved based on modified Julia olefination between (3,5R)-dimethoxy-(4R)-methyl-6-oxo-(2E)-hexenoate 4, corresponding to left side of the final molecule, and (S)-sulfone 6.     

A chemo-enzymatic route to diastereoisomers of 2-methyl-1-phenyl-1,3-butanediol: the dual role of microorganisms

Diastereoisomers (1S,2R,3S)-, (1R,2R,3S)-, (1R,2S,3S)- and (1S,2S,3S)-2-methyl-1-phenyl-1,3-butanediols were prepared by simple and convenient strategies using two different chemo-enzymatic approaches for the reduction of racemic 2-methyl-1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione, both involving in situ racemization. The first method comprised a one-pot microbial reduction coupled with a chemical reduction, while in the second method, stepwise chemo-enzymatic reductions were performed.     

Synthesis of the enantiomers of (3Z,9Z)-cis-6,7-epoxy-3,9-octadecadiene,one of the major components of the sex pheromone of Ectropis oblique Prout

Both enantiomers of (3Z,9Z)-cis-6,7-epoxy-3,9-octadecadiene, one of which is the major component of the sex pheromone of Ectropis oblique Prout, were synthesized in 23% overall yield for the (?)-(6S,7R)-enantiomer and 18% yield for the (+)-(6R,7S)-isomer. This protocol uses a sequential regioselective ring-opening strategy and provides a convenient and reliable access to other structurally related insect sex pheromones. Preliminary biological studies revealed that (?)-(6S,7R)-2a was roughly as active as the natural pheromone, while racemic (±)-2 was less bioactive and (+)-2b was much less bioactive.     

Synthesis and structure determination of diastereoisomeric (1R,2R,6S)-6-(3-{[(1RS)-1-(1-adamantyl)ethyl]amino}prop-1-en-2-yl)-3-methylcyclohex-3-ene-1,2-diols

Epimeric (1R,2R,6S)-3-methyl-6-(prop-1-en-2-yl)cyclohex-3-ene-1,2-diol derivatives containing a rimantadine residue have been synthesized, and their steric structure has been determined using NOESY technique and DFT quantum chemical calculations.     

Synthesis of thienamycin-like 2-iso-oxacephems with optional stereochemistry

All four trans-stereoisomers of 7-(1-hydroxyethyl)-2-iso-oxacephem-4-carboxylic acids, which are the 2-iso-oxacephem analogues of Thienamycin, have been synthesized. (αR,6R,7R)- and (αS,6S,7S)-7-(1-hydroxyethyl)-3-methyl-2-iso-oxacephem-4-carboxylic acids have been prepared starting from l- and d-threonine, the configuration at the α-position was inverted by using Mitsunobu reactions providing the (αS,6R,7R)- and (αR,6S,7S)-diastereomers of the compounds above. A synthetic route to the cis-annelated analogues was also worked out.     

Synthetic studies aimed at the elucidation of the stereostructure of the aggregation pheromone, 2-methyl-6-(4′-methylenebicyclo[3.1.0]hexyl)hept-2-en-1-ol,produced by the male stink bug Erysarcoris lewisi

The male-produced aggregation pheromone of the stink bug Erysarcoris lewisi Distant was shown to be one of the two diastereomers of (2Z,6R)-2-methyl-6-(4′-methylenebicyclo[3.1.0]hexyl)hept-2-en-1-ol by synthesizing and bioassaying (2E,6R)-, (2E,6S)-, (2Z,6R)-, and (2Z,6S)-isomers. These were synthesized from the enantiomers of citronellal by employing an intramolecular α-ketocarbene addition to a double bond and the E-selective or Z-selective olefination of a formyl group as the key steps. A reliable method was developed for the preparation of ethyl 2-(di-o-tolylphosphono)propanoate, Ando’s reagent for Z-selective olefination.     

Further monoterpene chromane esters from Peperomia obtusifolia: VCD determination of the absolute configuration of a new diastereomeric mixture

A reinvestigation of the monoterpene chromane ester enriched fraction from Peperomia obtusifolia using chiral chromatography led to the identification of a minor peak, which was elucidated by NMR and HRMS as fenchyl-3,4-dihydro-5-hydroxy-2,7-dimethyl-8-(3″-methyl-2″-butenyl)-2-(4′-methyl-1′,3′-pentadienyl)-2H-1-benzopyran-6-carboxylate, the same structure assigned to two other fenchyl esters described previously, pointing out a stereoisomeric relationship among them. Further NMR analysis revealed that it was actually a mixture of two compounds, whose absolute configurations were determined by VCD measurements. Although, almost no vibrational transitions could be assigned to the chiral chromane, the experimental VCD spectrum was largely opposite to that obtained for the average experimental VCD [(2S,1?R,2?R,4?S + 2R,1?R,2?R,4?S)/2] for fenchol derivatives. These results allowed us to assign the putative compounds as a racemic mixture of the chiral chromane esterified with the monoterpene (1S,2S,4R)-fenchol, which had not been identified in our early work.     

Aryl radical cyclizations of N-(2-halobenzoyl)-cyclic ketene-N,S-acetals

2-Ethylthiazolines react with 2-halobenzoyl chlorides to form N-(2-halobenzoyl)-cyclic ketene-N,S-acetals, which undergo stereo-controlled radical cyclizations to afford (R,S,S)-3-alkyl-10-methyl-2,3,10,10a-tetrahydrothiazolo[3,2-b]isoquinolin-5-one and (R,R,S)-3-alkyl-10-methyl-2,3,10,10a-tetrahydrothiazolo[3,2-b]isoquinolin-5-one.     

Diastereoselective synthesis of 5-benzylthio- and 5-mercaptohexahydropyrimidin-2-ones

A three-stage diastereoselective synthesis of (4R^∗,5R^∗,6S^∗)-5-mercapto-4-methyl-6-phenylhexahydropyrimidin-2-one has been developed. The first stage involves the formation of 4-hydroxy-5-(4-methoxybenzylthio)-4-methyl-6-phenylhexahydropyrimidin-2-one by the reaction of N-[(phenyl)(tosyl)methyl]urea with the sodium enolate of 1-(4-methoxybenzylthio)propan-2-one. Reduction of the obtained compound by NaBH₄-CF₃COOH and removal of the p-methoxybenzyl protecting group results in the target compound.     

Asymmetric hydrogenation of the C–C double bond of 1- and 1,2-methylated maleimides with cultured suspension cells of Marchantia polymorpha

Suspension cultured cells of Marchantia polymorpha have the potential to hydrogenate the C–C double bonds of 2-methyl- and 2,3-dimethylmaleimide derivatives to give enantiomerically pure (2R)-2-methyl- and (2R,3R)-2,3-dimethylsuccinimide derivatives, respectively.     

Synthesis of the two enantiomers of the sex pheromone of Diabrotica Undecimpunct at a Howardi and of chiral precursors of other pheromones starting from enantiomerically pure methyl hydrogen (R)-3-methylglutarate

Readily available methyl hydrogen (R)-3-methylglutarate(2) is a useful chiral building block for the synthesis of several biologically active compounds. Enantiomerically pure (R)-2 has been employed to synthesize stereospecifically each of the two enantiomers, 1a and 1b, of 10-methyl-2-tridecanone, the sex pheromone of the southern corn rootworm, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber. Compound (R)-2 has been also used to prepare 99% optically pure (R)-3-methyl-1-pentanol (6) and enantiomerically pure (R)-5-methyl-i-tricosyne (7). These compounds are useful building blocks suitable for the further elaboration to other chiral insect pheromones.     

Enantioselective preparation of (2R,3R)-(+)- and (2S,3S)-(−)-2,3-epoxy-2-methylbutanoic acids and some derivatives

(2R,3R)-(+)- and (2S,3S)-(−)-2,3-epoxy-2-methylbutanoic acids (epoxyangelic acids) were prepared from (Z)-2-methyl-2-butenoic acid using the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation method in combination with the use of (−)- and (+)-menthol as chiral auxiliaries. Both substances, obtained in high enantiomeric excess, were characterized by spectroscopic and optical activity data. Their absolute configuration was determined by correlation with (R)-(+)-2-methyl-1,2-butanediol.     

Functionalized 2-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes. III.1 reductive rearrangement of an hexahydro-2-oxopyrano[3,2-b]pyridine

Reduction of 5-benzoyl-8-methyl-2-oxo-3,4,4a,5,6,7-hexahydro-2H-pyrano[3,2-b] pyridine ($\text{1}$) with lithium aluminium hydride afforded (1R^*,5S^*,6R^*,9S^*)-2-benzyl-5-methyl-2-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane-6,9-diol ($\text{2}$).     

A novel synthesis of N(1)-(substituted)-pyrimido[5,4-e]-1,2,4-triazine-5,7(1H,6H)-diones

A new synthesis of N₁-(substituted)-pyrimido[5,4-e]-1,2,4-triazine-5,7(1H,6H)-diones, which are analogues of the natural product toxoflavin, is reported. Condensation of preformed alkyl or aryl hydrazones with 6-chloro-3-methyl-5-nitrouracil efficiently provides pyrimidotriazinediones in a three-step process that broadens the scope of R₁ substituents.