Total synthesis of (+)-anamarine

Total synthesis of (+)-anamarine a polyoxygenated δ-pyranone natural product was accomplished via cross-metathesis protocol starting from 3-butene-1-ol and glycidol. Other key features of this synthetic strategy include use of Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, dihydroxylation, and deoxygenation-isomerization through allene rearrangement.     

Total synthesis of (+)-asteltoxin

A convergent synthesis of (+)-asteltoxin (1) has been achieved by the Horner-Emmons olefination of bis(tetrahydrofuran) aldehyde 53 and alpha-pyrone phosphonate 5. A key step features the stereoselective construction of a sterically congested quaternary center embedded in the densely functionalized bis(tetrahydrofuran) subunit by a Lewis acid-catalyzed, pinacol-type rearrangement of an epoxy silyl ether. This pivotal rearrangement methodology parallels the proposed biosynthetic pathway of 1 and is ripe for applications to the stereocontrolled synthesis of structurally complex natural products.     

Total synthesis of (+)-strictifolione

[reaction: see text] The synthesis of (+)-strictifolione was achieved from 3-phenylproprionaldehyde by using enantioselective allyltitanations to control the stereogenic centers at C6, C4', and C6' and a cross-methathesis to control the configuration of the double bond at C1'-C2'.     

Total synthesis of (+)-laurallene

The stereoselective total synthesis of (+)-laurallene is described. The required key oxocene skeleton possessing trans-orientated alkyl substituents at the α,α′-positions was stereoselectively constructed via the cyclization of the corresponding hydroxy epoxide promoted by Eu(fod)₃.     

Total synthesis of (+)-conagenin

The total synthesis of the immunomodulator, (+)-conagenin was achieved using, as a key step, a method developed by us for the synthesis of 2-methyl-1,3-diols via Ti(III)-mediated diastereo- and regioselective opening of trisubstituted 2,3-epoxy alcohols, to carry out the stereoselective construction of its pentanoic acid segment.     

Total synthesis of (+)-dactylolide

[reaction: see text] The development of an approach leading to the total synthesis of dactylolide is described. The key features of this route include a catalytic asymmetric allylation, a diastereoselective pyran annulation, and a Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons macrocyclization.     

Total synthesis of (+)-astrophylline

The first total synthesis of (+)-astrophylline (2) has been achieved, starting from readily available enantiomerically pure (+)-(1R,4S)-4-hydroxycyclopent-2-enyl acetate (11). A novel ruthenium-catalyzed ring-closing ring-opening ring-closing metathesis of carbocyclic olefins of general type 5 was the key step, providing the stereochemically well-defined bis-piperidyl skeleton of the target molecule. A [2,3]-Wittig-Still rearrangement of 9 was also employed as the critical transformation in the stereocontrolled generation of the 1,2-trans configuration of the cyclopentene intermediate 6c. Our early synthetic efforts toward 1,2-trans cyclopentene derivatives of type 6, as well as the synthetic pathway to an optimized 13-step total synthesis of 2 (12% overall yield), are reported.     

Total synthesis of (+)-epiquinamide

The stereoselective total synthesis of the novel quinolizidine alkaloid (+)-epiquinamide is presented, starting from the amino acid l-allysine ethylene acetal. Key steps in the synthesis involved a highly diastereoselective N-acyliminium ion allylation and a ring-closing metathesis reaction to provide the bicyclic skeleton. [reaction: see text]     

Total synthesis of (+)-anamarine

An enantiospecific total synthesis of polyhydroxy δ-pyrone natural product (+)-anamarine is accomplished. The main features of the synthesis include the stereoselective reduction of the ketone obtained by the desymmetrization of the bis-dimethyl amide of tartaric acid and further elaboration involving asymmetric Brown's allylation and ring closing metathesis.     

Total synthesis of (+)-pseudohygroline

A simple and efficient total synthesis of five-membered pyrrolidine, (+)-pseudohygroline is described. The key steps involved in this synthesis are highly stereoselective Prins cyclisation followed by reductive ring opening and hydroboration.     

Total synthesis of (+)-obtusenyne

The stereoselective total synthesis of (+)-obtusenyne is described. The oxonene skeleton possessing trans-orientated alkyl substituents at the α,α′-positions was stereoselectively constructed via cyclization of the corresponding hydroxy epoxide promoted by Eu(fod)₃.     

Total synthesis of (+)-pinitol

A new synthesis of (+)-pinitol 9 has been developed starting from the 7-oxanorbornenic sulfone (+)-5, prepared in enantiomerically pure form by resolution of the sulfonyl-7-oxanorbornanol 4. These precursors are available from the Diels-Alder adduct of furan and trans-1,2-bis-(phenylsulfonyl)-ethylene.     

Total synthesis of (+)-dihydromevinolin

The potent hypocholesterolemic agent (+)-dihydromevinolin was synthesized from chiral pyranoside 5 and octahydronaphthalene 6 which was obtained from maleic anhydride Diels-Alder adduct 7 by intramolecular sulfoxide acylation and methyl cuprate addition.     

Total synthesis of (+)-dactylolide

[reaction: see text] The total synthesis of the new cytotoxic marine macrolide (+)-dactylolide (1) has been achieved in nine steps from known vinyl bromide (-)-AB. In addition, (+)-zampanolide (2) has been converted to (+)-dactylolide (1) via thermolysis.     

Total synthesis of (+)-tedanolide

A convergent, stereocontrolled total synthesis of (+)-tedanolide (1), an architecturally complex marine antitumor macrolide, has been achieved in 31 steps (longest linear sequence). Highlights of the synthesis comprise a highly efficient dithiane union, followed by an Evans-Tishchenko "oxidation" to enable formation of the seco-ester in the presence of an oxidatively labile dithiane, a highly refined protecting group strategy, and a chemo- and stereoselective epoxidation at C(18,19).     

Total synthesis of (+)-asperazine

The first total synthesis of the structurally novel cyclotryptophan alkaloid asperazine is reported. The central step in the synthetic sequence is a diastereoselective intramolecular Heck reaction in which the substituent controlling stereoselection is external to the ring being formed. This synthesis confirmed the structure of (+)-asperazine (1) proposed by Crews and co-workers and provided material for additional biological studies. The in vitro cytotoxicity originally reported for the marine isolate was not confirmed with synthetic (+)-asperazine.