Palladium-catalyzed oxidative cyclizations: synthesis of dihydropyranones and furanones

A boron-mediated syn- and anti-stereoselective aldol reaction giving rise to various beta-hydroxyenones was coupled to a Pd((II))-mediated oxidative cyclization to give 2,3,6-trisubstituted syn- and anti-dihydropyranones in good yields. The Pd((II))-mediated oxidative cyclization was expanded to alpha-hydroxyenones leading to furan-3(2H)-one derivatives, which include natural product bullatenone and a known precursor of geiparvarin. The sole product of the oxidative cyclization of alpha,beta-dihydroxyenone was a five-membered furan-3(2H)-one derivative, suggesting that the ring closure of these diols is both chemo- and regioselective.     

Synthesis of the bis-spiroacetal moiety of spirolides B and D

An enantioselective synthesis of the bis-spiroacetal fragment of spirolides B and D is reported. The carbon framework was constructed via Barbier reaction of dihydropyran 3 with aldehyde 4, followed by a double oxidative radical cyclization to construct the bis-spiroacetal. A silyl-modified Prins cyclization and enantioselective crotylation successfully installed the stereocenters in the cyclization precursor. The initial unsaturated bis-spiroacetals 2a-d underwent equilibration during epoxidation to trans-epoxide 14 that was converted to a tertiary alcohol. [reaction: see text]     

Total Synthesis of Indole Alkaloid Alsmaphorazine D

A concise total synthesis of rac‐alsmaphorazine D has been described for the first time. The efficient synthetic strategy features four key transformations: 1) a catalytic intramolecular oxidative cyclization for the δ‐lactamindole backbone; 2) an oxidative cyclic aminal formation for the hexahydropyrrolo[2,3‐b]pyrrole framework; 3) a transannular radical cyclization for the construction of the diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane structure; and 4) a one‐pot desilylation/double epimerization reaction that affirms the relative stereochemistry.     

Bio-inspired oxidative phenolic coupling: Total synthesis of the diarylether heptanoid (±)-pterocarine

The diaryletherheptanoid natural product, pterocarine, is expeditiously synthesized using a bioinspired intramolecular oxidative phenolic coupling of acerogenin G. The cyclization precursor is prepared from a simple cinnamic acid derivative in three high yielding synthetic operations. The key oxidative coupling is inspired by biosynthetic hypotheses; however, the oxidative coupling proceeds with concomitant hydroxylation of the diphenyl ether motif.     

Diastereoselective Synthesis of Benzoxanthenones

An oxidative catalytic vanadium(V) system was developed to access the naturally nonabundant diastereomers of carpanone from the corresponding alkenyl phenol monomer in one pot by tandem oxidation, oxidative coupling, and 4+2 cyclization. This system was applied to the synthesis of two other analogues of carpanone. Mild oxidizing silver salts were used as the terminal oxidant to minimize background oxidation which produces the natural diastereomer of carpanone. Further, the first examples of enantioselective oxidative benzoxanthenone formation are reported. Solvent polarity has a strong effect on enantioselectivity, consistent with a mechanism involving binding of vanadium Schiff base catalysts to the alcoholic moiety of the alkenyl phenols during the cyclization step.     

Oxidative decarboxylation as a route to ketene acetals: assignment of relative and absolute stereochemistry to the fungal metabolite benesudon by total synthesis

The unusual ketene acetal benesudon, which is a bioactive fungal metabolite, was synthesized from d-glucose by a route involving radical cyclization to form the five-membered ring and oxidative decarboxylation to generate the key central double bond. The originally suggested stereochemistry for the quaternary center C(5) must be revised, as both possibilities were prepared and a comparison with an authentic sample was made. The absolute configuration of benesudon is 4S,5R,6S.     

Stereoselective synthesis of brevianamide E

The hydroxypyrroloindolenine (Hpi) motif forms the fundamental core of the pentacyclic natural product, brevianamide E, the concise stereoselective synthesis of which, via oxidative cyclization, is described.     

Synthesis and PET oxidative cyclization of silyl enol ethers: build-up of quasi-steroidal carbocycles

PET oxidative cyclization of silyl enol ethers carrying suitable side chains with olefinic double bonds results in the stereoselective formation of carbocycles. Two model compounds for investigating the influence of silyl enol ether ring size are synthesized. Furthermore the synthesis of a quasi-steroidal carbocycle with an unnatural configuration is presented.     

The naturally occurring ketene acetal benesudon: total synthesis and assignment of relative and absolute stereochemistry

The densely functionalized ketene acetal benesudon, which is a bioactive fungal metabolite, was synthesized from D-glucose by a route involving radical cyclization to form the five-membered ring, and oxidative decarboxylation to generate the key central double bond. The originally suggested stereochemistry for the quaternary center C(5) must be revised, as both C(5) epimers were prepared and a comparison with an authentic sample was made. The absolute configuration of benesudon is 4S,5R,6S.     

Pd(II)-catalyzed enantioselective oxidative tandem cyclization reactions. Synthesis of indolines through C-N and C-C bond formation

We have developed an efficient Pd(II)-catalyzed enantioselective oxidative tandem cyclization strategy using molecular oxygen as a green oxidant for the double 5-exo-trig cyclizations of N-(2-allylaryl) amides to afford a variety of indolines in good yields without the formation of undesired monocyclization products. By employing Pd(TFA)2/(-)-sparteine as the chiral catalyst, we obtained tandem cyclization products with high enantioselectivity (up to 91% ee).     

Total Synthesis of Kaempferol and Methylated Kaempferol Derivatives

Kaempferol ( 1 ), a natural product from various plants, was synthesized in which the longest linear sequence is only seven steps in over all yields of 47% from commercially avail able 1,3,5‐trimethoxybenzene (10). The methylated kaempferols 2–5 were also pre pared by use of this concise synthetic methodology. The key transformations in this synthesis involved the I₂ oxidative‐promoting‐cyclization and DDO oxidative hydroxylation. Several strategies to achieve 1 are provided.     

Synthesis of the tricyclic core of aldingenin B by oxidative cyclo-ketalization of an alkyne-diol

The preparation and selenium-mediated cyclo-ketalization of an alkyne-diol is described as a model study for the synthesis of aldingenin B. The oxidative cyclization is a simplifying transformation for aldingenin B, as it provides a convenient method for generating the tricylic core of the natural product from a functionalized cyclohexane.     

Convenient access to isoindolinones via carbamoyl radical cyclization. Synthesis of cichorine and 4-hydroxyisoindolin-1-one natural products

An efficient and convenient access to 2-tert-butylisoindolin-1-ones via an oxidative radical cyclization process from stable carbamoylxanthates, derived from secondary tert-butylamines, is described. The proposed mechanism for this transformation involves, the generation of a carbamoyl radical, its cyclization to the aromatic system, and the dilauroyl peroxide (DLP) mediated rearomatization to generate the isoindolinone ring system. Additionally, the syntheses of cichorine and 4-hydroxyisoindolin-1-one natural products were carried out to underscore the synthetic potential of this xanthate-based carbamoyl radical-oxidative cyclization.     

Synthesis of phakellistatin 13 and oxidation to phakellistatin 3 and isophakellistatin 3

The natural product phakellistatin 13 cyclo-(TrpProPheGlyProThrLeu) was synthesized. Photosensitized oxidation of phakellistatin 13 gave the natural products phakellistatin 3 and isophakellistatin 3, demonstrating for the first time that a tryptophan residue can be directly converted to the corresponding 3a-hydroxypyrrolo[2,3-b]indoline in a full length peptide. Competitive oxidation of the indoline product was identified as the cause of low mass balance and is probably the source of low mass balance in the oxidative cyclization of all tryptamine derivatives. [reaction--see text]     

Total synthesis of ribisin A

The first total synthesis of natural product ribisin A has been achieved in 11 steps from commercially available methyl α-d-glucopyranoside with 21.6% overall yield. The highly oxygenated benzofuran skeleton of this natural product was constructed, taking advantages of the inherent chirality of d-glucose, through the key reactions of Ferrier carbocyclization, Johnson iodination, Suzuki cross-coupling, and Wacker oxidative cyclization.     

Transformation of 3-(Furan-2-yl)-1,3-di(het)arylpropan-1-ones to Prop-2-en-1-ones via Oxidative Furan Dearomatization/2-Ene-1,4,7-triones Cyclization

The approach to 3-(furan-2-yl)-1,3-di(het)arylprop-2-en-1-ones based on the oxidative dearomatization of 3-(furan-2-yl)-1,3-di(het)arylpropan-1-ones followed by an unusual cyclization of the formed di(het)aryl-substituted 2-ene-1,4,7-triones has been developed. The cyclization step is related to the Paal–Knorr synthesis, but the furan ring formation is accompanied in this case by a formal shift of the double bond through the formation of a fully conjugated 4,7-hydroxy-2,4,6-trien-1-one system or its surrogate.     

Inter- and intramolecular Mitsunobu reaction based approaches to 2-substituted chromans and chroman-4-ones

Two approaches to optically active 2-substituted chromans and chroman-4-ones are described. The first utilized an intermolecular Mitsunobu reaction of a homochiral halopropanol and 2-bromophenol followed by cyclization to the 2-substituted chroman. In addition, a double lithiation procedure was developed to introduce additional functionality to the chroman. The second approach utilized an intramolecular Mitsunobu cyclization to give the 2-substituted chroman-4-one nucleus. The methodologies were applied to the syntheses of several biologically active natural and synthetic products.     

Cyanoacetic acid hydrazide: An efficient access for the synthesis of multi-functional azine and azole derivatives

Herein, the synthesis of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic scaffolds from heterocyclization of cyanoacetic acid hydrazide derivatives is described. Thiosemicarbazide derivative 1a undergoes base-mediated cyclization producing pyrazole derivative of type 2 . The triazolopyridine 5 was obtained by double cyclization of 1a and benzylidene malononitrile. Compound 1b condensed with ethyl chloroformate to furnish pyrazolooxazine 8 . Compound 1b was added to benzoyl isothiocyanate under thermal condition to form oxadiazine derivative 10 while, keeping the above reactant under room temperature to form acyclic derivative 11 . Using CS₂ as a cyclizing agent for compound 1b yielded pyrazole derivative 13 . Treatment of 1b with I₂ resulted in oxidative cyclization producing pyridazine derivative 14 . Compound 1c cyclized with benzoyl isothiocyanate forming triazolothiazine derivative 18 . While using cinnamoyl isothiocyanate, the acyclic product 22 was obtained. Compound 1c was condensed with formaldehyde leading to oxadiazole derivative 25 .     

Total Synthesis of a Dimeric Thymol Derivative Isolated from Arnica sachalinensis

The total synthesis of a dimeric thymol derivative (thymarnicol) isolated from Arnica sachalinensis was accomplished in 6 steps. A key biomimetic Diels–Alder dimerization was found to occur at ambient temperature and the final oxidative cyclization occurs when the substrate is exposed to air and visible light. These results indicate that this natural product is likely the result of spontaneous (non‐enzyme‐mediated) reactivity.     

A rapid and convergent synthesis of the integrastatin core

The tetracyclic core of the integrastatin natural products has been prepared in a convergent and rapid manner. Our strategy relies upon a palladium(II)-catalyzed oxidative cyclization to form the central [3.3.1]-dioxabicycle of the natural product core. Overall, the core has been completed in only 4 linear steps from known compounds.