First total synthesis of a natural product containing a chiral,beta-diketone: synthesis and stereochemical reassignment of siphonarienedione and siphonarienolone

The first total syntheses of siphonarienolone and siphonarienedione are described. The development of a stereoselective synthesis of beta-diketones facilitated the synthesis of the latter compound. The synthesis of the structures proposed for the natural products afforded compounds whose spectral data did not match those of the natural products. However, the synthesis of compounds isomeric to the proposed structures at C(4) and C(5) afforded compounds identical to the natural products, thereby reassigning the stereochemistry of the natural products.     

Natural Products Originated from the Oxidative Coupling of Tyrosine and Tryptophan: Biosynthesis and Bioinspired Synthesis

The oxidative coupling of tyrosine and tryptophan units is a pivotal step in the total synthesis of some peptide-derived marine and terrestrial natural products, such as the diazonamides, azonazine and tryptorubin A. This Minireview details the biosynthesis and bioinspired synthesis of natural products with such structures. A special focus is put on the challenges of the synthesis of these natural products and the innovative solutions adopted by synthetic chemists.     

Dearomatization strategies in the synthesis of complex natural products

Evolution in the field of the total synthesis of natural products has led to exciting developments over the last decade. Numerous chemoselective and enantioselective methodologies have emerged from total syntheses, resulting in efficient access to many important natural product targets. This Review highlights recent developments concerning dearomatization, a powerful strategy for the total synthesis of architecturally complex natural products wherein planar, aromatic scaffolds are converted to three-dimensional molecular architectures.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of (−)-epoxyquinols A and B. Novel, convenient access to chiral epoxyquinone building blocks through enzymatic desymmetrization

Following our recent total synthesis of the biologically potent natural products epoxyquinols A and B in racemic form, we have now accomplished the total synthesis of the (−)-epoxyquinols A and B, anti-podes of the angiogenesis inhibiting natural products, through a protocol that involves enzymatic desymmetrization of a versatile epoxyquinone derivative, readily available from the Diels-Alder adduct of cyclopentadiene and p-benzoquinone.     

A protecting-group-free synthesis of arbusculone,andirolactone, pinnatolide,ipomolactone, cyclocapitelline and isocyclocapitelline

A general approach for a collective synthesis of natural products containing substituted THF ring is described. In this paper, Arbusculone, a small molecule natural product accomplished using a short route, is used as the key intermediate to achieve the total synthesis of Andirolactone, Pinnatolide, Ipomolactone, Cyclocapitelline, Isocyclocapitelline and their two isomers in less than ten steps. The present effort highlights protecting-group-free total syntheses and the shortest route to access these natural products from commercially available cheap starting materials.     

Recent progress on the total synthesis of natural products in China

An overview of natural products synthesis in Mainland China during the past 10 years is provided. This review only emphasizes the first total synthesis of molecules of contemporary interest and syntheses that helped to correct structures. In addition, some significant results on the novel synthesis and structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies of several natural products are introduced.     

Advances in Total Synthesis of Some 2,3,5‐Trisubstituted Tetrahydrofuran Natural Products

2,3,5‐Trisubstituted tetrahydrofuran moiety is ubiquitous in natural products. These have served as appealing candidates for total synthesis due to their varied bio‐ and pharmaceutical activities. This tutorial review delineates the ingenious efforts by many researchers in the total synthesis of selected natural products based on a common 2,3,5‐trisubstituted tetrahydrofuran core structure. Many of the syntheses display nuanced interplay between new methods and the ingenuity of planned strategies achieved through catalysis or cascade chemistry. In some cases, the chiron approach has come quite handy, wherein the structural features and the stereochemistry in select molecules could map well with naturally available starting materials. This compilation also aims to enhance the diversity space based on these natural products and further interest in sustainable total synthesis.     

Marine cytotoxic macrolides haterumalides and biselides, and related natural products

Marine animals and plants are rich sources of bioactive natural products. Haterumalides and biselides, isolated from Okinawan marine animals, are 14-membered macrolides with strong cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines. This review highlights the isolation, structures, bioactivities, and total synthesis of haterumalides, biselides, and related natural products.     

[4 1]及[3 2]会聚式四氢呋喃环合成策略在天然产物全合成中的应用进展

四氢呋喃环广泛存在于具有生物活性的天然产物结构当中,立体选择性地构筑四氢呋喃环往往成为这些天然产物全合成研究中的关键。本文归纳了已有全合成报道中的四氢呋喃环成环策略,以实例展示了其中的会聚式合成策略在近年的发展。相比于直线型的分子内关环策略,以[4+1]、[3+2]为代表的会聚式四氢呋喃关环策略往往能够使全合成的整体路线更加简洁高效,更符合全合成研究领域的发展趋势。     

Convergent strategies for the total synthesis of polycyclic ether marine metabolites

Marine polycyclic ether natural products continue to fascinate chemists and biologists due to their exceptionally large and complex molecular architectures and potent and diverse biological activities. Tremendous progress has been made over the past decade toward the total synthesis of marine polycyclic ether natural products. In this area, a convergent strategy for assembling small fragments into an entire molecule always plays a key role in successful total synthesis. This review describes our efforts to develop convergent strategies for the synthesis of polycyclic ethers and their application to the total synthesis of gambierol, gymnocin-A, and brevenal, and to the partial synthesis of the central part of ciguatoxins and the nonacyclic polyether skeleton of gambieric acids.     

Rapid Generation of Molecular Complexity by Chemical Synthesis: Highly Efficient Total Synthesis of Hexacyclic Alkaloid (−)‐Chaetominine and Its Biosynthetic Implications

The efficiency becomes a key issue in today's natural product total synthesis. While biomimetic synthesis is one of the most elegant strategies to achieve synthetic efficiency and thus to approach the ideal synthesis, most biogenetic pathways are unknown or unconfirmed. In this account, we demonstrate, through the shortest and also the most efficient asymmetric total syntheses of the hexacyclic alkaloid (?)‐chaetominine to date, that on the basis of biogenetic thinking, one can develop quite efficient bio‐inspired total synthesis, which in turn serves to suggest and chemically validate plausible biosynthetic routes for the natural product. The synthetic strategy thus developed is also inspiring for the development of other synthetic methods and efficient total synthesis of other natural products.     

Heterocyclic and acyclic azadiene diels-alder reactions: Total synthesis of nothapodytine B

A summary of the applications of the inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reactions of heterocyclic and acyclic azadienes in the total synthesis of natural products is provided and a recent application in the total synthesis of nothapodytine B (mappicine ketone) is presented in detail.     

Development of new synthetic methods and its application to total synthesis of nitrogen-containing bioactive natural products

A group of naturally occurring substances containing nitrogen is widely distributed in plants as well as in fungi, animal, marine organisms, and insects, and many exhibit significant biological activity. These natural products with a huge variety of chemical structures include antibiotics, antitumor agents, immunostimulants, drugs affecting the cardiovascular and central nervous systems, analgesics etc. The diverse activities and low natural abundance of this group of natural products when coupled with their molecular complexity warrant development of new and efficient synthetic methods and strategy for the total synthesis of these products, in particular alkaloids. The purpose of this review is to describe some of our achievements in the total synthesis of the naturally-occurring bases including the Dendrobatid alkaloids pumiliotoxin B and allopumiliotoxin A, the anitibiotic streptazolin, the tricyclic marine alkaloids isolated from the ascidians such as fasicularin, lepadiformine, and cylindricine C, and the dimeric monoterpene alkaloid incarvillateine as well as the formal total synthesis of the spirocyclic marine alkaloids halichlorine and pinnaic acid, which are isolated from the Japanese marine sponge and the Okinawan bivalve, respectively.     

Synthetic approaches toward sesterterpenoids

Sesterterpenoids account for many bioactive natural products, often with unusual and complex structural features, which makes them attractive targets for synthetic chemists. This review surveys efforts undertaken toward the synthesis of sesterterpenoids, focusing on completed total syntheses and covering ca. 50 natural products in total.     

天然产物生物合成:探索大自然合成次生代谢产物的奥秘

天然产物(次生代谢产物)是大自然馈赠给人类的礼物,由于其复杂的骨架结构和良好的药用价值,吸引着化学家们对其进行结构鉴定以及化学合成。尽管人们在天然产物全合成中取得了巨大的成就,但仍然面临着合成路线长、产率低、缺乏选择性等问题。大自然是最伟大的化学家,它利用酶作为催化剂,往往能够高效地合成天然产物。在基因水平上探索大自然合成复杂多样的天然产物的奥秘不仅有助于人们进一步理解和认知有机化学,还为人们开发和利用大自然高效催化化学反应的工具——酶奠定了基础。     

Synthesis and biological activity of apratoxin derivatives

This review covers the total asymmetric synthesis and biological evaluation of derivatives of the marine natural products known as the apratoxins.     

亚砜亚胺类化合物的合成及应用研究进展

亚砜亚胺(Sulfoximine)类化合物是一类重要的杂原子取代化合物,引起了人们的广泛关注.综述了近十年来亚砜亚胺类化合物的研究进展,包括该类化合物的合成及在不对称催化领域中的应用、含有亚砜亚胺的生物活性小分子合成和天然产物全合成.并对发展趋势和应用前景做了展望.     

Omaezallene from Red Alga Laurencia sp.: Structure Elucidation,Total Synthesis,and Antifouling Activity

Natural antifouling products have been the subject of considerable attention. We screened marine algae for antifouling activity and discovered omaezallenes, the new bromoallene‐containing natural products isolated from the red alga Laurencia sp. Described is the isolation, structure elucidation, and total syntheses of omaezallenes. The relative and absolute configurations of natural omaezallenes were unambiguously established through total synthesis. The antifouling activities and ecotoxicity of omaezallenes were also evaluated.     

Omaezallene from Red Alga Laurencia sp.: Structure Elucidation,Total Synthesis,and Antifouling Activity

Natural antifouling products have been the subject of considerable attention. We screened marine algae for antifouling activity and discovered omaezallenes, the new bromoallene‐containing natural products isolated from the red alga Laurencia sp. Described is the isolation, structure elucidation, and total syntheses of omaezallenes. The relative and absolute configurations of natural omaezallenes were unambiguously established through total synthesis. The antifouling activities and ecotoxicity of omaezallenes were also evaluated.     

"Common synthetic scaffolds" in the synthesis of structurally diverse natural products

Selected natural products have long been considered as desirable targets for total synthesis due to their unique biological properties and their challenging structural complexity. Laboratory synthesis of natural compounds usually relies on target-oriented synthesis, involving the production, isolation and purification of successive intermediates, requiring multiple steps to arrive to the final product. A far more economical approach using common synthetic scaffolds that can be readily transformed through biomimetic-like pathways to a range of structurally diverse natural products has been evolved in the last decade, leading synthesis to new directions. This tutorial review critically presents the hallmarks in this field.