Total synthesis of phorboxazole B

An efficient and highly convergent total synthesis of the potent antitumor agent phorboxazole B has been achieved. The synthetic strategy of this synthesis features: 1) a highly efficient substrate-controlled hydrogenation to construct the functionalized cis-tetrahydropyrane unit; 2) iterative crotyl addition to synthesize the segment that contains alternating hydroxyl and methyl substituents; 3) Hg(OAc)2/I2-induced cyclization to establish the cis-tetrahydropyrane moiety; 4) 1,3-asymmetric induction in the Mukaiyama aldol reaction to afford the stereogenic centers at C9 and C3; and 5) the exploration of the Still-Gennari olefination reaction to complete the macrolide ring of phorboxazoloe B.     

Total synthesis of paecilospirone

Neutrality is the best policy: Key features of the first total synthesis of paecilospirone include an anti-selective, lactate-derived aldol reaction, and a double deallylation/spirocyclization conducted at neutral pH to construct the sensitive hydroxy-substituted benzannulated spiroacetal (see scheme; Bn=benzyl, TBS=tert-butyldimethylsilyl, TES=triethylsilyl).     

Total Syntheses of (+)‐Sarcophytin, (+)‐Chatancin, (−)‐3‐Oxochatancin,and (−)‐Pavidolide B: A Divergent Approach

A concise and divergent approach for the total syntheses of four cembrane diterpenoids, namely (+)‐sarcophytin, (+)‐chatancin, (?)‐3‐oxochatancin, and (?)‐pavidolide B, has been developed, and it also led to the structural revision of (?)‐isosarcophytin. The key steps of the strategy feature a double Mukaiyama Michael addition/elimination, a Helquist annulation, two substrate‐controlled facial‐selective hydrations, and a pinacol rearrangement. The described syntheses not only achieved these natural products in an efficient manner, but also provided insight into the biosynthetic relationship between the two different skeletons.     

Total synthesis of murisolins and evaluation of tumor-growth inhibitory activity

Convergent total syntheses of murisolin (1), natural 16,19-cis-murisolin 2, and unnatural 16,19-cis-murisolin 3 were accomplished by asymmetric alkynylation of alpha-tetrahydrofuranic aldehyde with a diyne and Sonogashira coupling with a gamma-lactone segment as the key steps. Stereoisomers of alpha-tetrahydrofuranic aldehyde were synthesized with high optical purity and the asymmetric alkynylation of these with 1,6-heptadiyne proceeded in good yield and with high diastereoselectivity. The cell-growth inhibition profile and COMPARE analysis of the synthetic compounds 1-3 were also investigated.