Enantioselective total synthesis of the antitumor macrolide rhizoxin D

The convergent, highly enantioselective synthesis of rhizoxin D, a natural product possessing potent antitumor and antifungal bioactivity, is described. The C(1)-C(9) fragment of the molecule was synthesized utilizing a threefold pseudosymmetric intermediate ultimately derived from gamma-butyrolactone. The central core of rhizoxin D was prepared via a chiral resolution/asymmetric aldol protocol. Several methods for the generation of the polyene fragment were explored, and the side-chain was ultimately prepared from serine in six steps. The unification of the left and right wings of the molecule was achieved using a one-step olefination protocol, and the macrocyclization was carried out using a Horner-Emmons olefination at the C(2)-C(3) olefin.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of macrolide antitumor agent (-)-lasonolide A

[structure: see text] An enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-lasonolide A is described. The upper tetrahydropyran ring was constructed stereoselectively by an intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction. The bicyclic isooxazoline led to the tetrahydropyran ring as well as the quaternary stereocenter present in the molecule. The lower tetrahydropyran ring was assembled by a catalytic asymmetric hetero-Diels-Alder reaction as the key step. Three stereocenters were enantioselectively installed in this single step reaction.     

Enantioselective formal total synthesis of roseophilin

[formula: see text] An enantioselective formal total synthesis of roseophilin 3 is presented. The 13-membered ring of macrotricycle 1 was formed via an efficient ring-closing metathesis reaction of bicycle 4. A palladium-catalyzed methoxycarbonylation reaction of enol triflate 5 was utilized to functionalize the right-hand ring of bicycle 2. The allyl substituent was introduced by a radical allylation of alpha-bromoketone 17.     

Enantioselective formal synthesis of antitumor agent (+)-ottelione A

The enantioselective formal synthesis of a natural antitumor product, (+)-ottelione A, was achieved through a catalytic enantioselective Diels-Alder strategy. These endeavors have led to the synthesis of a variety of synthetic analogues of this biologically potent natural product.     

Stereoselective total synthesis of antitumor macrolide (+)-rhizoxin D

[structure: see text] A convergent, stereoselective total synthesis of the macrolide antitumor agent rhizoxin D is described. (+)-DIPCl-promoted asymmetric aldol reaction, Evans-Tishchenko 1,3-diol synthesis, modified Julia coupling, and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reactions are featured.     

Asymmetric total synthesis and formal total synthesis of the antitumor sesquiterpenoid (+)-eremantholide A

[structure: see text]. A new asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-eremantholide A is reported in which a Hoveyda-Grubbs ring-closing metathesis (RCM) reaction is used to assemble the nine-membered oxonin ring, and an enolate alkylation between the 3(2H)-furanone 2 and O-triflate 3 is exploited for C(9)-C(10) bond construction. An Evans asymmetric aldol reaction and a Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation served to stereoselectively install the C(6), C(7), and C(8) stereocenters of the target structure.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of the proposed structure of macrolide iriomoteolide-1b

An enantioselective total synthesis of the proposed structure of macrolide iriomoteolide-1b has been achieved by a convergent protocol, which was featured by an enantioselective organocatalytic transfer hydrogenation of enal, a Julia-Kocienski olefination to establish the C15-C16 E-olefin moiety, a Kulinkovich reaction associated with cyclopropyl-allyl rearrangement to produce allyl stannane and ytterbium triflate and carboxylic acid promoted allylation between allyl stannane and aldehyde with tertiary alcohol at the α-position. The construction of macrolide 2 was realized by the successful implementation of RCM utilizing 5 mol % Grubbs’s second generation catalyst at room temperature with E-isomer as a single product.     

Enantioselective formal total synthesis of (−)-trachyspic acid

An enantioselective formal total synthesis of (−)-trachyspic acid was carried out using, as key steps, an asymmetric aldol reaction of a chiral oxazolidinone and a diastereoselective alkylation of a chiral 1,3-dioxolan-2-one. The key lactone 3 was synthesized in five steps starting from dioxolanone 9.     

Enantioselective formal synthesis of tridemethylisovelleral

A simple and efficient synthetic route to the bicyclic α,β-unsaturated β-keto ester methyl (3aS,7aS)-6-oxo-2,3,3a,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1H-indene-5-carboxylate, a versatile intermediate in the synthesis of biologically active unsaturated 1,4-dialdehydes, is described. The synthesis includes a chirality introducing nonenzymatic asymmetric desymmetrization (ADS) reaction of a cyclic meso-anhydride 4 and a modified Hofmann method for preparing exocyclic dienes. The ester was synthesized in a moderate overall yield (19%) from 6 and with an excellent enantioselectivity (>90%).     

A concise stereoselective formal total synthesis of the cytotoxic macrolide (+)-Neopeltolide via Prins cyclization

A convergent and highly stereoselective formal total synthesis of the naturally occurring, cytotoxic 14-membered macrolide neopeltolide has been achieved via two Prins cyclizations.     

Enantioselective formal synthesis of palmerolide A

Enantioselective formal synthesis of macrolactone palmerolide A, a polyketide marine natural product, is described. Key strategies in the synthesis include the oxidative furan ring-opening of a chiral furyl carbinol for the installation of the 1,4-dienol core and a Jung nonaldol-aldol reaction for the dienamide core.     

A short synthetic pathway to a fully-functionalized southern hemisphere of the antitumor macrolide bryostatin 1

[reaction--see text] An 18-step asymmetric synthesis of the bryostatin 1 "southern hemisphere" fragment (1) has been developed. Key steps include an aldol reaction between 6 and 7 and a dehydration to establish the (E)-exocyclic alkene in 2 and a stereoselective Luche reduction and protection with TESOTf to access 1.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of a potent antitumor antibiotic, fredericamycin A.

The asymmetric total synthesis of both enantiomers of the potent antitumor antibiotic fredericamycin A (1) is detailed based on the protocol for the construction of its peri-hydroxy polyaromatic skeleton bearing the chirality at the spiro carbon via a strong base-induced cycloaddition of suitably substituted homophthalic anhydrides (AB-ring unit) with an optically active CDEF-ring unit. Particular attention has been given to the novel synthesis of the optically active spiro carbon center by a stereospecific rearrangement of optically active benzofuzed-trans-epoxy acylates leading to spirocyclopentane-1,1'-indane systems. This method is quite useful for the construction of an optically active spiro compound and was applied to the synthesis of the optically pure CDEF-ring unit of 1. Cycloaddition of the optically pure CDEF-ring unit to AB-ring units prepared via benzyne afforded two natural and unnatural-type hexacyclic compounds, which were converted to natural and unnatural enantiomers of synthetic 1, and the absolute configuration of natural 1 was determined as S.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-brefeldin A and 7-epi-brefeldin A

A convergent enantioselective route to brefeldin A (BFA) and 7-epi-BFA was developed. The key C-4/C-5 chiral centers were established by using chiral auxiliary induced intermolecular asymmetric aldolization in the presence of TiCl(4) and TMEDA. The results with the thiazolidinethione/TiCl(4) mediated intermolecular asymmetric aldolization added some new information about the scope and limitations to the existing knowledge of that type of reactions (which so far was essentially limited to the reactions with N-propionyl thiazolidinethiones). During the course a method for protecting the liable aldol hydroxyl groups by using inexpensive TBSCl in DMF with 2,6-lutidine as the base was developed to replace the otherwise unavoidable TBSOTf procedure. Due to the excessive steric hindrance, removal of the auxiliary was much more difficult than most literature cases. Cleavage of the oxazolidinone by reduction was almost impossible. The thiazolidinethione auxiliary was relatively easier to remove. However, several reactions reported for facile removal of thiazolidinethione auxiliaries in the literature still failed. Reductive removal of the thiazolidinethione auxiliary was most effectively realized with LiBH(4) in diethyl ether in the presence of 1 equiv of MeOH (a modification of a literature procedure for removal of oxazolidinone auxiliaries in less hindered substrates). Apart from the auxiliary removal, oxidation of the alcohol into aldehyde and the deprotection of the dithiolane protecting group were also rather difficult in the present context. A range of methods were screened before final solutions were found. The five-membered ring was constructed by employing an intramolecular Mukaiyama reaction after many attempts with the intramolecular aldolization under a variety of conditions failed. The rate of elimination of the alkoxyl to form the alpha,beta-double bond of the key intermediate cyclopentenone 49 with DBU was highly solvent dependent (very sluggish in CH(2)Cl(2) but rather fast in MeOH). Introduction of the lower chain (which was synthesized by using a Jacobsen KHR to establish the C-15 chirality) was achieved through a Michael addition similar to the precedents in the literature. It has not been noticed before that the yield of this Michael reaction could be dramatically raised by using 3 equiv of the copper-lithium reagent 55. Reduction of the C-7 carbonyl was apparently more difficult than similar cases in the literature. After examination of many reagents under various conditions, it was found that the best reagent for yielding the alpha-isomer was (S)-2-methyl-CBS-borolidine/BH(3) and that for the beta-isomer was L-Selectride. The alpha- and beta-isomers were then further elaborated into (+)-brefeldin A and 7-epi-BFA, respectively. An unexpected yet very interesting solubility difference between BFA and 7-epi-BFA was also observed.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of lycopodine

The first enantioselective total synthesis of lycopodine has been completed. Key steps include a highly diastereoselective organocatalyzed cyclization of a keto sulfone to establish the key C7 and C8 stereocenters and a tandem 1,3-sulfonyl shift/intramolecular Mannich cyclization to form the tricyclic core.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of aplyviolene

The enantioselective total synthesis of the rearranged spongian diterpene aplyviolene has been completed in 14 steps from the known hydroazulenone 8. The key junction of the hydrocarbon and oxygenated fragments to form the critical C8 quaternary carbon stereocenter and set the stage for elaborating the delicate bicyclic lactone functionality was accomplished in high yield and exquisite stereoselectivity by Michael addition of an enantioenriched hydroazulenone enolate to an enantiopure α-bromocyclopentenone.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of aspidophytine

[structure: see text] An enantioselective total synthesis of aspidophytine is described. The indole fragment bearing a cis-alkene substituent was efficiently prepared through radical cyclization of a 2-alkenylphenylisocyanide followed by Sonogashira coupling of the generated 2-iodoindole derivative with a functionalized acetylene unit. After formation of the 11-membered cyclic amine, the aspidosperma skeleton and lactone ring were constructed to complete the total synthesis.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of borrelidin

The first total synthesis of the natural product borrelidin is described. The propionate fragment of the molecule was concisely synthesized through catalytic enantioselective reductive aldol reactions, a catalytic Negishi coupling, and a catalytic directed hydrogenation. The propionate segment was then fused to the vinyl iodide fragment through a catalytic Sonogashira coupling. Subsequent catalytic hydrostannylation and catalytic cyanation allowed access to the target structure.