Ethynyloxirane anions: a new tool for natural product synthesis

Ethynyl oxiranes can be deprotonated with nBuLi in THF and trapped with various electrophiles, providing a stereoselective access to trisubstituted oxiranes. Alkyl iodides and aldehydes react readily with the ethynyloxiranyl anions but not sulfonyl derivatives. Mechanistic investigations highlighted the stabilizing role of the ethynyl group, the localization of the anion and the coordinating role of the oxirane oxygen atom during deprotonation.     

HSQC-ADEQUATE correlation: a new paradigm for establishing a molecular skeleton

Various experimental methods have been developed to unequivocally identify vicinal neighbor carbon atoms. Variants of the HMBC experiment intended for this purpose have included 2J3J-HMBC and H2BC. The 1,1-ADEQUATE experiment, in contrast, was developed to accomplish the same goal but relies on the (1) J(CC) coupling between a proton-carbon resonant pair and the adjacent neighbor carbon. Hence, 1,1-ADEQUATE can identify non-protonated adjacent neighbor carbons, whereas the 2J3J-HMBC and H2BC experiments require both neighbor carbons to be protonated to operate. Since 1,1-ADEQUATE data are normally interpreted with close reference to an HSQC spectrum of the molecule in question, we were interested in exploring the unsymmetrical indirect covariance processing of multiplicity-edited GHSQC and 1,1-ADEQUATE spectra to afford an HSQC-ADEQUATE correlation spectrum that facilitates the extraction of carbon-carbon connectivity information. The HSQC-ADEQUATE spectrum of strychnine is shown and the means by which the carbon skeleton can be conveniently traced is discussed.     

Total synthesis of laulimalide: assembly of the fragments and completion of the synthesis of the natural product and a potent analogue

Herein, we present a full account of our efforts to couple the northern and the southern building blocks, the synthesis of which were described in the preceding paper, along with the modifications required to ultimately lead to a successful synthesis of laulimalide. Key highlights include an exceptionally efficient and atom-economical intramolecular ruthenium-catalyzed alkene-alkyne coupling to build the macrocycle, followed by a highly stereoselective 1,3-allylic isomerization promoted by a rhenium complex. Interestingly, the designed synthetic route also allowed us to prepare an analogue of the natural product that possesses significant cytotoxic activity. We also report a second generation route that provides a more concise synthesis of the natural product.     

A new method for the synthesis of the marine alkaloid fascaplysin

A new method for the synthesis of the marine alkaloid fascaplysin has been developed via a simple and practical approach to pyrido[1,2-a:3,4-b′]diindole ring system formation. Conversion of the marine alkaloid homofascaplysin C into fascaplysin is also described.     

Facile zeolite induced Fischer-indole synthesis: a new approach to bioactive natural product rutaecarpine

Starting from glutaric anhydride (5) we have demonstrated an elegant six-step practical synthesis of bioactive natural product rutaecarpine (1a) via o-amidoglutaranilic acid formation, esterification, chemoselective ester reduction, intramolecular dehydrative cyclizations, hydrazone formation and zeolite induced Fischer-indole synthesis with 53% overall yield. The conditions employed in the present synthesis are mild, efficient and general.     

First total synthesis of a new pyrrolizidine alkaloid, amphorogynine A

An efficient and stereodefined strategy is described for the first asymmetric synthesis of a new type of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, amphorogynine A and its 1-epi-isomer. The key 2,4-disubstituted pyrrolidine ring was constructed by elaboration of the chiral lactam derivative incorporating the d-malic acid-derived skeleton through asymmetric cis-allylation of the functionalized allysilane.     

Total synthesis of a diastereomer of the marine natural product clavosolide A

The first total synthesis of the reported structure of the sponge metabolite clavosolide A is described using a Prins cyclisation to assemble the tetrahydropyran core followed by manipulation of the side-chain, dimerisation and finally glycosidation.     

The synthesis of neosporol: A trichothecene in search of a natural product

The synthesis of neosporol 14, a yet to be discovered trichothecene, is described. The critical reaction is a highly diastereoselective Claisen rearrangement that sets the C₅C₆ stereochemistry.     

Total synthesis, molecular editing and evaluation of a tripyrrolic natural product: the case of "butylcycloheptylprodigiosin"

Conflicting reports are found in the literature on whether the ortho-pyrrolophane derivative 6, which has been named "butylcycloheptylprodigiosin" even though it is a cyclononane derivative, is a natural product or merely a mis-assigned structure. This dispute has now been resolved by an unambiguous total synthesis of this complex alkaloid which confirms the initial structure assignment. The chosen approach is largely catalysis-based, featuring the first application of a "Narasaka-Heck" reaction in natural product chemistry. This palladium-catalyzed transformation allows the unsaturated oxime ester 26 to be converted into the bicyclic dihydropyrrole 27. Other notable reactions of the reported approach to 6 are a regioselective Tsuji-Trost reaction of the doubly allylic acetate 21 with methyl acetoacetate, a base-induced aromatization of 27 to the corresponding pyrrole 28, a chemoselective oxidation of the benzylic methyl group in 33 with cerium ammonium nitrate in a biphasic reaction medium that does not affect the labile pyrrole nucleus, and a Suzuki cross-coupling for the completion of the heterocyclic domain. Diversification in the latter step leads to a set of analogues that differ from the natural product in the terminal (hetero)arene ring. This structural modification results in complete loss of the very pronounced ability of the parent compound 6 to induce oxidative cleavage in double stranded DNA in the presence of Cu(II). Several cyclononane-, cyclononene- and cyclononadiene derivatives prepared en route to 6 have been characterized by crystal structure analysis, allowing the conformational behavior of nine-membered carbocycles to be studied.     

Hybrid systems through natural product leads: an approach towards new molecular entities

Hybrid systems are constructs of different molecular entities, natural or unnatural, to generate functional molecules in which the characteristics of various components are modulated, amplified or give rise to entirely new properties. These hybrids can be designed from carefully selected components either through domain integration of key structural/functional features or via straightforward covalent linkages. Some of the recently reported hybrid systems based on steroid, carbohydrate, C60-fullerene platforms, amongst others, mainly crafted with the object of enhancement of the therapeutical spectrum, will be discussed.     

Concise total synthesis of the marine natural product ageladine A

A total synthesis of ageladine A has been achieved by exploiting a Pictet-Spengler-type condensation between 2-aminohistamine and 4,5-dibromo-2-formylpyrrole as the key step.     

Toward a total synthesis of the novel polyketide natural product spiculoic acid A

[chemical reaction: see text]. An enantioselective approach toward the recently isolated marine natural product, spiculoic acid A, conceptualized along the proposed biogenetic hypothesis, involving an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction as the pivotal step, is delineated. Access to a structurally embellished bicyclic core of the natural product has been accomplished.     

A new single-step process for polybenzimidazole synthesis

Aromatic benzimidazole polymers have been prepared by reaction of the corresponding tetraamine and diester in refluxing sulfolane or phenyl sulfone. The convenience of using these sulfone solvents together with the good yields, high viscosities and absence of crosslinking make this procedure an attractive new route to this class of polymers. The preparation by this procedure of poly[2,2′-(m-phenylene)-5,5′-bibenzimidazole], poly-[2,2′-(p-phenylene)-5,5′-bibenzimidazole], poly[2,2′-(m-phenylene)-5,5′-di(benzimidazole) ether], and poly[2,2′-(m-phenylene)-5,5′-di(benzimidazole) ketone] is described.     

Quinone-annonaceous acetogenins: synthesis and complex I inhibition studies of a new class of natural product hybrids

The natural product hybrids quinone-mucocin and quinone- squamocin D were synthesized. In these hybrids, the butenolide unit of the annonaceous acetogenins mucocin and squamocin D is exchanged for the quinone moiety of the natural complex I substrate ubiquinone. For both syntheses, a modular, highly convergent approach was applied. Quinone-mucocin was constructed out of a tetrahydropyran (THP) component 1, a tetrahydrofuran (THF) unit 2, and a quinone precursor 3. A stereoselective, organometallic coupling reaction was chosen for the addition of the THP unit to the rest of the molecule. In the final step, the oxidation to the free quinone was achieved by using cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate (CAN) as the oxidizing agent. Quinone-squamocin D was assembled in a similar manner, from the chiral side chain bromide 16, the central bis-THF core 17, and the quinone precursor 18. Inhibition of complex I (isolated from bovine heart mitochondria) by the quinone acetogenins and several smaller building blocks was examined; quinone mucocin and quinone-squamocin D act as strong inhibitors of complex I. These results and the data from the smaller substructures indicate that other substructures of the acetogenins besides the butenolide group, such as the polyether component and the lipophilic left-hand side chain, are necessary for the strong binding of the acetogenins to complex I.     

Total synthesis of the new leguminise alkaloid hystrin

A total synthesis of hystrine has been realised with good yield by the introduction of a double link into the piperidine nucleus of synthetic ammodendrine, followed by deacetylation, and purification with the aid of the nitroso derivative. The identity of the synthetic product with authentic hystrine was established by its chromatographic behaviour, by UV.-, IR.- and mass spectra as well as by the properties of its nitroso derivative. Thus the proposed structure of hystrine as 3-(2, 3, 4, 5-tetrahydropyrid-6-yl)-1, 4, 5, 6-tetrahydropyridine (V) is proved.     

The synthesis of a natural product family: from debromoisolaurinterol to the aplysins

Total syntheses of (±)-aplysin 1, (±)-debromoaplysin 2, (±)-isoaplysin 3, (±)-aplysinol 4, (±)-debromoaplysinol 5, (±)-aplysinal 6, (±)-isolaurinterol 7 and (±)-debromoisolaurinterol 8 are described. Key features are a diastereoselective, sulfur mediated radical cyclisation of diene 12 to give 35; a new radical to polar crossover sequence mediated by Bu₃Sn that transforms diene 12 into (±)-debromoisolaurinterol 8; and a series of biomimetic cyclisation and oxidation reactions.