Applications of sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation in the total synthesis of natural products

Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation involves the reaction of an alkene with osmium tetroxide in the presence of a chiral quinine ligand to form an optically active vicinal diol. This reaction was primarily developed by Sharpless based on the already known racemic Upjohn dihydroxylation. The chiral diols obtained by Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation are important intermediates in organic synthesis. Herein, we emphasise the applications of Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation in the total synthesis of natural products.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (+)-boronolide

An efficient enantio- and stereocontrolled total synthesis of (+)-boronolide from valeraldehyde is described. The key steps include a Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, a chelation controlled Grignard reaction followed by Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation and a ring closing metathesis.     

Enantio- and diastereocontrolled total synthesis of (+)-boronolide

An efficient stereoselective total synthesis of (+)-boronolide from valeraldehyde is described. The key steps include a Sharpless asymmetric hydroxylation, a chelation-controlled vinyl Grignard reaction followed by a Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, hydrolytic kinetic resolution, and a ring-closing metathesis.     

Total synthesis of the proposed structure of xylarolide

A total synthesis of a proposed structure of xylarolide is described. The key features of the synthesis include Sharpless asymmetric reaction, Wittig olefination, Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, Still-Gennari olefination and Yamaguchi lactonization. The differences in the spectroscopic data of the synthetic and natural product indicate a revision of the assigned structure.     

Stereocontrolled total synthesis of (-)-ephedradine A (orantine)

The stereocontrolled total synthesis of (-)-ephedradine A has been accomplished. The synthesis features an asymmetric C-H insertion reaction, an intramolecular ester-amide exchange reaction, and a Sharpless asymmetric aminohydroxylation reaction. Construction of the complex macrocyclic ring was performed by Ns-strategy and an intramolecular aza-Wittig reaction.     

Aminobromination of unsaturated phosphonates

Unexpected syn beta-amino-alpha-bromination of unsaturated phosphonates was observed under typical Sharpless AA reaction conditions with excess N-bromoacetamide.     

Stereoselective total synthesis of (+)-boronolide

A seteroselective total synthesis of (+)-boronolide is described. The key steps are Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, Shibasaki's asymmetric Henry reaction, asymmetric allylation and ring closing metathesis.     

Stereoselective synthesis of the densely functionalized C1-C9 fragment of amphidinolides C and F

The synthesis of the C1-C9 subunit of amphidinolides C and F is described. Key steps include tandem Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation-S_N2 cyclization reaction, Lewis acid-mediated epoxide opening, Wittig reaction, and Wacker oxidation.     

First total synthesis of achaetolide

The first total synthesis of achaetolide, a 10-membered macrolactone was achieved using Mitsunobu reaction and Grubbs ring-closing metathesis reaction as the key steps for ring construction. The desired stereo centres were generated by Jacobsen hydrolytic kinetic resolution, dihydroxylation and Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation reactions.     

A straightforward entry into enantiomerically enriched β-amino-α-hydroxyphosphonic acid derivatives

The asymmetric aminohydroxylation (AA) reaction of β-substituted vinylphosphonates under Sharpless protocol followed by hydrolysis afforded β-amino-α-hydroxyphosphonic acids in moderate to good ee.     

Effect of metal hydride and silica gel on the sharpless asymmetric epoxidation

The reaction time of asymmetric epoxidation of allylic alcohol was greatly reduced when a catalytic amount of both metal hydride and silica gel was occurred in the Sharpless reagent.     

Concise synthesis of (-)-anisomycin

The antibiotic (-)-anisomycin was synthesized starting from D-tyrosine using Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation as a key reaction followed by formation and hydrolysis of oxazoline set up all chiral center.     

First total synthesis of neurotrophic diacetylene tetrol (−)-petrosiol D

The first total synthesis of the natural product (−)-petrosiol D has been achieved in a linear fashion. Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, base induced elimination reaction for the formation of chiral propargyl alcohol and Cadiot–Chodkiewicz coupling reaction are the key steps utilized for the synthesis.     

A concise stereoselective total synthesis of Botryolide B

The first total synthesis of Botryolide B is described from easily accessible starting materials. The synthetic strategy involves Jacobsen resolution, Sharpless epoxidation, Swern oxidation, Yamaguchi reaction, and ring closing metathesis (RCM).     

Total synthesis of (+)-tanikolide, a toxic and antifungal δ-lactone, utilizing bromoalkene intermediates conveniently synthesized from vicinal dibromoalkane by regioselective elimination

Stereoselective total synthesis of (+)-tanikolide, a bioactive δ-lactone marine natural product, was successfully accomplished by using regioselective HBr elimination reaction of 3-acyloxy-1,2-dibromoalkanes, Pd-mediated coupling reaction, and the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation as key steps.     

Alternative total synthesis of (+)-aspicilin

The total synthesis of an 18-membered polyhydroxylated macrolide (+)-Aspicilin was accomplished starting from commercially available enantiopure propylene oxide and D-(+)-gluconolactone by asymmetric synthetic approach. The key reactions involved are Witttig reaction, Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, and Yamaguchi macrolactonization.     

“On‐Droplet” Chemistry: The Cycloaddition of Diethyl Azodicarboxylate and Quadricyclane

Sharpless and co‐workers previously studied the [2σ+2σ+2π] cycloaddition of diethyl azodicarboxylate (DEAD) and quadricyclane and reported that the addition of water to the neat reagents caused an acceleration in the reaction rate, giving birth to what has been called “on‐water” chemistry. We have examined the same reaction in aqueous microdroplets (ca. 5 μm diameter) and find that the cycloaddition reaction is accelerated even further (by a factor of 10²) compared to that of the “on‐water” reaction reported previously. The trends of acceleration in solvents other than water demonstrated by Sharpless and colleagues were replicated in the corresponding microdroplet experiments. We also find that DEAD reacts with itself to form a variety of hydrazine carboxylates and intercept intermediates of this reaction in microdroplets to validate a mechanism proposed herein. We suggest that “on‐droplet” chemistry, similar to “on‐water” chemistry, may be a general process of synthetic interest.     

Studies directed toward the total synthesis of azaspiracid: stereoselective construction of C(1)-C(12), C(13)-C(19), and C(21)-C(25) fragments

[reaction: see text] The efficient entry to the C(1)-C(12), C(13)-C(19), and C(21)-C(25) fragments of azaspiracid is outlined. The C(1)-C(12) portion is constructed using a key asymmetric allenyl borane addition to the corresponding alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde. The synthesis of the C(13)-C(19) portion utilizes an Evans asymmetric alkylation followed by Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation. In addition, a novel solution to the mismatched effects of a neighboring chiral oxazolidinone during a Sharpless dihydroxylation is detailed.     

Total synthesis of (−)-ephedradine A: an efficient construction of optically active dihydrobenzofuran-ring via C-H insertion reaction

The stereocontrolled total synthesis of (−)-ephedradine A (1) has been accomplished. Construction of optically active dihydrobenzofuran-ring was performed by a novel asymmetric C-H insertion reaction. After an intramolecular ester-amide exchange reaction and a Sharpless asymmetric aminohydroxylation reaction, construction of the complex macrocyclic ring was performed by Ns-strategy and an intramolecular aza-Wittig reaction.     

The enantioselective total synthesis of a beta-carboline alkaloid, (S)-(-)-dichotomine C

The first enantioselective synthesis of a beta-carboline alkaloid, dichotomine C, possessing antiallergic effects, was achieved by constructing a beta-carboline framework based on the microwave-assisted thermal electrocyclic reaction of a 1-azahexatriene system, followed by the Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation.