Concise enantioselective total syntheses of (+)-homochelidonine, (+)-chelamidine, (+)-chelidonine, (+)-chelamine and (+)-norchelidonine by a Pd II-catalyzed ring-opening strategy

New enantioselective syntheses of the B/C hexahydrobenzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids (+)-homochelidonine, (+)-chelamidine, (+)-chelidonine, (+)-chelamine, and (+)-norchelidonine are described. Our rapid and convergent route to this class of natural products involved the development and application of a Pd II-catalyzed asymmetric ring-opening reaction of a meso-azabicyclic alkene with an aryl boronic acid as the key step. By screening a variety of functionalized ortho-substituted aryl boronic acids, chiral ligands and reaction conditions we were able to prepare the requisite cis-1-amino-2-aryldihydronaphthalenes in high yield and in up to 90 % ee. Early attempts to complete the synthesis of (+)-homochelidonine using an N-Boc azabicyclic alkene are described in full. The successful route required a protecting group alteration followed by B ring formation and then stereoselective installation of the C-11 syn-hydroxy group by regioselective epoxide ring-opening using a hydride source. Ring-opening of the same epoxide intermediate with water ultimately led to the synthesis of (+)-chelamidine. The same strategy was then used to synthesize the other structurally similar B/C hexahydrobenzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids, (+)-chelidonine, (+)-chelamidine, and (+)-norchelidonine.     

Asymmetric total syntheses of (+)-goniopypyrone and (+)-9-deoxygoniopypyrone

Asymmetric total syntheses of (+)-goniopypyrone (1) and (+)-deoxygoniopypyrone (2) from methyl cinnamate (7) via (DHQ)2-PHAL-OsO4 catalyzed asymmetric dihydroxylation and highly stereoselective 2-furylcopper addition in eight steps and eleven steps with overall yield of 20% and 13%,respectively,are described.     

Concise syntheses of (+)-macrosphelides A and B

[reaction: see text]. Unified and highly convergent total syntheses of (+)-macrosphelides A and B are described. Key features of the syntheses include (1) concise synthesis of the optically active delta-hydroxy-gamma-keto alpha,beta-unsaturated acid fragment via the direct addition of a trans-vinylogous ester anion equivalent to the readily available Weinreb amide and (2) facile construction of the 16-membered macrolide core of the macrosphelide series via an intramolecular nitrile-oxide cycloaddition (INOC).     

First total syntheses of (+)-7-deoxynogarol and (+)-7-con-o-methylnogarol

The first total syntheses of (+)-7-deoxynogarol (2) and (+)-7-con-O-methylnogarol (3), the notable members of nogalamycin congeners, were achieved employing the Diels-Alder reaction of the highly functionalized dienes (11 and 20) with the (+)-naphthoquinone (6), the CDEF-ring system of nogalamycin congeners, as a key synthetic step.     

Concise enantiospecific, stereoselective syntheses of (+)-crispine A and its (-)-antipode

An enantiospecific and stereoselective total synthesis of the natural product (+)-crispine A has been demonstrated employing a Pictet-Spengler bis-cyclization reaction between commercially available (R)-(-)-methyl 2-amino-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)propanoate and 4-chloro-1,1-dimethoxybutane to preferentially provide the cis tricyclic adduct. Decarboxylation by a convenient two-step protocol provided the enantiopure natural product in three steps with an overall isolated yield of 32% from the amino acid. The unnatural antipode (-)-crispine A was similarly prepared in three steps from the commercially available (S)-(+)-amino acid.     

A carbohydrate-based total syntheses of (+)-pyrenolide D and (-)-4-epi-pyrenolide D

Efficient total syntheses of (+)-pyrenolide D (5) and (-)-4-epi-pyrenolide D (6) have been achieved from a known 5-deoxy-d-xylose derivative 9 in ten steps with 19% overall yield either exclusively as 5 or as pure 5 and 6 in a 3:2 ratio. Key steps involved are one-pot epoxidation-cyclization by Corey-Chaykvosky reagent, reductive Barton-McCombie deoxygenation, and per-acid mediated oxidative spiroketalization.     

Concise syntheses of (+)- and (−)-methylenolactocins and phaseolinic acids

(+)- and (−)-Methylenolactocins and phaseolinic acids are synthesized in four steps via asymmetric syn- and anti-aldol reactions of chiral N-succinyl-2-oxazolidinones using the same set of reagents.     

Concise total syntheses of heliannuols B and D

Concise and efficient enantioselective total syntheses of heliannuols B and D have been accomplished using chirality transfer through a Lewis acid-promoted Claisen rearrangement for the construction of the C7 tertiary stereogenic center and a relay ring-closing metathesis for assembling the dihydrobenzo[b]oxepine backbone of the natural products as the key steps.     

Divergent total syntheses of (-)-aspidospermine and (+)-spegazzinine

Divergent total syntheses of (+)-spegazzinine (1) and (-)-aspidospermine (2) and their extensions to the synthesis of C19-epi-aspidospermine and C3-epi-spegazzinine are detailed, confirming the relative stereochemistry and establishing the absolute configuration of (+)-spegazzinine. A powerful intramolecular [4 + 2]/[3 + 2] cycloaddition cascade of a 1,3,4-oxadiazole provided the pentacyclic skeleton and all the requisite stereochemistry of the natural products in a single reaction that forms three rings, four C-C bonds, and five stereocenters.     

Concise total synthesis of (+)-crocacin C

The cytotoxic natural product (+)-crocacin C ( 1) has been synthesized in 10 linear steps from commercially available Evans' chiral propionimide in 5% overall yield (8 steps from Evans' chiral dipropionate synthon). No protecting groups were utilized.     

Concise total syntheses of variolin B and deoxyvariolin B

The total synthesis of the marine alkaloid variolin B has been achieved in 8 steps and 17% overall yield, starting from commercially available 4-chloro-2-methylthiopyrimidine. The key reaction involves the tandem deoxygenation and cyclization of a triarylmethanol using a combination of triethylsilane and trifluoroacetic acid. In addition, the deoxygenated analogue was prepared in 6 steps and 23% overall yield, starting from the same starting material.     

Concise total synthesis of (+)-carpamic acid

We report herein an efficient enantioselective synthesis of (+)-carpamic acid, with nine steps as the longest linear sequence, the key strategy being based on a novel sequence of a cross-metathesis (CM) reaction and a subsequent cyclizing reductive amination to form the piperidine ring.     

Concise total synthesis of (+)-lyconadin a

The total synthesis of lyconadin A from (R)-5-methylcyclohex-2-enone was accomplished. Our synthesis features the facile construction of a highly fused tetracyclic compound through a combination of an aza-Prins reaction and an electrocyclic ring opening. Transformation of the bromoalkene moiety in the tetracycle could be achieved by either a vinylogous Pummerer rearrangement or the formation and subsequent isomerization of the nitrosoalkene to furnish an α,β-unsaturated ketone, from which the pyridone ring was constructed.     

Synthetic studies on nogalamycin congeners [3]1,2 total syntheses of (+)-nogarene, (+)-7-deoxynogarol,and (+)-7-con-o-methylnogarol

According to the retrosynthetic perspective, the title total syntheses were accomplished by employing the regioselective Diels-Alder reactions of the (+)-naphthoquinone (5), the CDEF-ring system of nogalamycin congeners, with various structural types of dienes (8, 16, and 26). The highly functionalized dienes (16 and 26) incorporating all the functionalities present in the A-rings of (+)-7-deoxynogarol (3) and (+)-7-con-O-methylnogarol (2), were prepared efficiently by way of the 1 ,4-cyclohexadiene and 2-cyclohexanone derivatives (6 and 21), respectively. Reaction mechanism of the key Diels-Alder reaction was also discussed in terms of its stereoselectivity.     

Asymmetric total syntheses of (+)-cheimonophyllon e and (+)-cheimonophyllal

The highly enantiocontrolled total syntheses of natural (+)-cheimonophyllon E (5) and (+)-cheimonophyllal (6), biologically intriguing oxygenated bisabolane-type sesquiterpenoids, have been completed. The present synthetic strategy featured the use of an asymmetric aldol-type reaction for preparing in the first synthetic step an optically active 6-C-substituted 3-methyl-2-cyclohexenone derivative. Thus, a Mukaiyama aldol reaction of 1-methyl-3-silyloxy-1,3-cyclohexadiene 31 with alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde 11 in the presence of a chiral (acyloxy)borane (CAB)-type Yamamoto catalyst 33 proceeded with high levels of both diastereo- and enantioselectivities. The predominant aldol adduct, syn-9, was transformed into gamma,delta-epoxy allylic alcohol 8 by a nine-step sequence, including the substrate-controlled 1,2-reduction of enone, syn-12, also the epoxidation of allylic alcohol 15. Epoxy-alcohol 8 underwent 5-exo-cyclization in a high regioselective manner under acidic conditions to produce a bicyclic key intermediate (+)-7, which was eventually efficiently converted to (+)-cheimonophyllon E (5) or (+)-cheimonophyllal (6).     

Concise total syntheses of (+)-strictifolione and (6R)-6-[(4R,6R)-4,6-dihydroxy-10-phenyldec-1-enyl]-5,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-2-one

Concise and efficient asymmetric total syntheses of (+)-strictifolione 1 and (6R)-6-[(4R,6R)-4,6-dihydroxy-10-phenyldec-1-enyl]-5,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-2-one 2 have been achieved based on the strategic application of one-pot double allylboration and ring-closing metathesis reactions. The total syntheses proceeded in only five and seven steps, respectively, from readily available 3-butenal and represent the shortest syntheses of 1 and 2 reported to date.     

The methyl group as phosphate protecting group in nucleotide syntheses

A novel method is described for the removal of a methyl protecting group from phosphotriesters in oligonucleotides.