Formal total synthesis of (−)-balanol: a potent PKC inhibitor

An efficient formal total synthesis of the PKC inhibitor balanol 1 is described, starting from the commercially available pentane1,5-diol. A Shi epoxidation and Pd(0)-mediated nitrogen substitution with double inversion established the correct configuration of the balanol precursor 3.     

Asymmetric synthesis of α-amino aldehydes from sulfinimine (N-sulfinyl imine)-derived α-amino 1,3-dithianes. Formal synthesis of (−)-2,3-trans-3,4-cis-dihydroxyproline

Hydrolysis of sulfinimine-derived N-sulfinyl α-amino 1,3-dithianes with aqueous 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin affords the corresponding N-tosyl α-amino aldehydes in good yield and high enantiomeric purity. These aldehydes can be reduced to amino alcohols and undergo the Wittig reaction to give allylic amines without epimerization. The utility of this methodology is illustrated in a formal synthesis of (−)-2,3-trans-3,4-cis-dihydroxyproline.     

N-Cbz sulfilimines as valuable intramolecular nucleophiles for the stereoselective synthesis of (−)-deoxocassine and (+)-desoxoprosophylline

N-Cbz sulfilimine, prepared from the corresponding sulfoxide using the Burgess reagent, has been employed as an intramolecular nucleophile for the regio- and stereoselective preparation of a bromo-carbamate from an alkene. The bromo-carbamate has been utilized as an advanced common synthon for the synthesis of deoxocassine and desoxoprosophylline employing the ene and amidomercuration as key reactions.     

Enantioselective synthesis of R-(+)-α and S-(−)-α-lipoic acid

An efficient synthesis of α-lipoic acid from the readily available cis-2-butene-1,4-diol employing a Claisen orthoester rearrangement and Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation as the key steps, is described.     

A concise total synthesis of (+)-deoxocassine and (−)-deoxoprosophylline from d-xylose

A concise total synthesis of (+)-deoxocassine (1) and (−)-deoxoprosophylline (2) has been achieved for the first time from d-xylose. The key steps involved in these synthesis are alkyl Grignard reaction, S_N2 substitution of mesylate by azide, Wittig reaction, and reductive amination.     

Stereoselective total synthesis of (±)-7-deoxy-trans-dihydronarciclasine, a potent antineoplastic phenanthridone alkaloid

A short and efficient stereoselective total synthesis of (±)-7-deoxy-trans-dihydronarciclasine, a highly potent antineoplastic agent and constituent of the Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, is described. Starting from a known arylcyclohexylamine-type precursor 6, the C-ring with the required stereochemistry is constructed using a chemo- and stereoselective enone reduction (NaBH₄/CaCl₂ system) and a Mitsunobu reaction. For the B-ring closure, the Banwell modification of the Bischler-Napieralski reaction was applied.     

Solid-phase synthesis of 2,6- and 2,7-diamino-4(3H)-quinazolinones via palladium-catalyzed amination

A new procedure for the solid-phase synthesis of 2,6- and 2,7-diamino-4(3H)-quinazolinones is described. The method involves coupling of 2,4,6- and 2,4,7-trichloroquinazoline to a solid support via benzyl alcohol type linkers, subsequent displacement of chlorine at C-2 then at the C-6 or C-7 positions by amines (Fig. 1) and the cleavage of the products from the resin. The palladium-catalyzed amination of C-6 and C-7 positions with a representative set of amines in the presence of 2-(di-t-butylphosphino)biphenyl (DTBPBP), P(t-Bu)₃ and 2,2′-bis(diphenylphosphino)-1,1′-binaphthyl (BINAP) ligands has been investigated. This method should prove to be a useful tool for constructing combinatorial libraries containing the 4(3H)-quinazolinone moiety.     

Biomimetically inspired total synthesis of (12S)-12-hydroxymonocerin and (12R)-12-hydroxymonocerin

A concise asymmetric total synthesis of (12S)-12-hydroxymonocerin (1) and (12R)-12-hydroxymonocerin (2) were efficiently achieved from the known 4-bromo-2,6-dimethoxyphenol. The synthetic approach was inspired by our biomimetic synthesis of (+)-monocerin (3) and 7-O-demethylmonocerin (4). The cis-fused furobenzopyranones of 1 and 2 was efficiently constructed via an intramolecular nucleophilic trapping of a quinonemethide intermediate, which was obtained by benzylic oxidation of compound 10 using 2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ).     

The use of (−)-8-phenylisoneomenthol and (−)-8-phenylmenthol in the enantioselective synthesis of 3-functionalized 2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane derivatives via aza-Diels-Alder reaction

The asymmetric aza-Diels-Alder reaction of the (1R)-8-phenylmenthyl or (1R)-8-phenylisoneomenthyl glyoxylate-derived N-benzylimine with cyclopentadiene resulted in the enantioselective synthesis of the corresponding pure [(1S,3-exo)-2-benzyl-2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene]-3-carboxylates (80 or 69% yield, respectively). Reduction of these cycloadducts with LiAlH₄ afforded pure (−)-[(1S,3-exo)-2-benzyl-2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-en-3-yl]methanol. Furthermore, a reaction sequence based on Barbier-Wieland degradation of both (1S,3-exo)-adducts afforded pure (+)-(1R)-2-benzoyl-2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-3-one. In the course of the two transformation sequences referred, the chiral auxiliaries were recovered in a virtually quantitative way.     

Highly efficient total synthesis of the marine natural products (+)-avarone, (+)-avarol, (-)-neoavarone, (-)-neoavarol and (+)-aureol

Biologically important and structurally unique marine natural products avarone (1), avarol (2), neoavarone (3), neoavarol (4) and aureol (5), were efficiently synthesized in a unified manner starting from (+)-5-methyl-Wieland-Miescher ketone 10. The synthesis involved the following crucial steps: i) Sequential BF(3)Et(2)O-induced rearrangement/cyclization reaction of 2 and 4 to produce 5 with complete stereoselectivity in high yield (2 --> 5 and 4 --> 5); ii) strategic salcomine oxidation of the phenolic compounds 6 and 8 to derive the corresponding quinones 1 and 3 (6 --> 1 and 8 --> 3); and iii) Birch reductive alkylation of 10 with bromide 11 to construct the requisite carbon framework 12 (10 + 11 --> 12). An in vitro cytotoxicity assay of compounds 1-5 against human histiocytic lymphoma cells U937 determined the order of cytotoxic potency (3 > 1 > 5 > 2 > 4) and some novel aspects of structure-activity relationships.     

First asymmetric enantioselective total synthesis of phenanthridine alkaloid, (S)-(+)-asiaticumine and its enantiomer

In this study, the first asymmetric enantioselective total syntheses of (+)-asiaticumine A (2) and its enantiomer were accomplished through a seven-step sequence using the bond formation between the C4a and N5 positions of the phenanthridine framework based on the microwave-assisted electrocyclization of cyclohexenylbenzaldoxime methyl ether as an aza 6π-hexatriene system followed by the Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation as the key step. In addition, the absolute configuration of natural (+)-2 was determined to be S by Mosher’s method.     

Short synthesis of stenusine and norstenusine, two spreading alkaloids from Stenus beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

Each of the both spreading alkaloids stenusine and norstenusine could be synthesized starting from commercially available 3-picoline in a two-step synthesis in yields of 74% and 67% in gram scale. The stereoisomeric ratio of the synthesized (+)-stenusine is similar to that of stenusine from Stenus comma.     

Application of Prins cyclization to the total synthesis of (+)-decytospolides A and B

(+)-Decytospolides A and B, natural products containing the tetrahydropyran skeleton, were synthesized via Prins cyclization as the key step.     

A practical enantioselective total synthesis of (−)-(S)-stepholidine

A convergent enantioselective total synthesis of (−)-(S)-stepholidine, a drug candidate for the treatment of schizophrenia and/or drug abuse, was described, which represented the first example of successful auxiliary-assisted Bischler–Napieralski cyclization of amide bearing bromine atom at 2-position of the C ring, followed by an introduction of the aryl methyl ester via Br–Li exchange. (−)-(S)-Stepholidine was synthesized in 6 steps, with 52% overall yield and >99% ee. The reported synthesis is practically free from chromatographic separation.     

Improved total synthesis of (±)-trans-dihydronarciclasine, devised for large-scale preparation

New synthetic route to (±)-trans-dihydronarciclasine, more suitable for a large-scale preparation, has been devised with the early stage incorporation of ester functionality for direct assembly of the B-ring lactam.     

Palladium-catalyzed DYKAT of butadiene monoepoxide: enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-DMDP, (-)-bulgecinine, and (+)-broussonetine G

Palladium catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation reaction of an amine with two equivalents of butadiene monoxide allows for the expedient synthesis of trans- and cis-2,5-dihydropyrroles. The versatility of these chiral synthons towards the synthesis of a wide variety of iminosugar natural products was demonstrated with the short and high yielding asymmetric syntheses of (+)-DMDP, and (-)-bulgecinine. In addition, the first total synthesis of (+)-broussonetine G, a potent glycosidase inhibitor, is described along with the assignment of its relative and absolute stereochemical configuration.     

Chiral diamines for asymmetric synthesis: an efficient RCM construction of the ligand core of (−)- and (+)-sparteine

An efficient RCM-based approach was applied to the total asymmetric synthesis of a tricyclic diamine and, formally, of its enantiomer, widely known as efficient and versatile chiral ligands of the sparteine-like type.     

Crotylation of (R)-2,3-O-cyclohexylideneglyceraldehyde: a simple synthesis of (+)-trans-oak lactone

Crotylations of (R)-2,3-cyclohexylideneglyceraldehyde (1) were utilized in a simple synthesis of trans-oak lactone (I), a representative example of chiral β,γ-disubstituted-γ-butyrolactones. In this endeavor, crotylations of 1 in THF mediated with four low valent metals were studied. All these reactions took place efficiently producing 2 in good yields but with varied stereoselectivities. Each reaction produced the corresponding secondary alcohol adduct 2b and 2c predominantly with diastereoisomer 2a only in trace amounts. Among these four reactions, only Sn-mediated addition yielded 2b as the major products. Later, 2c was converted into 2d through oxidation-reduction. Finally, 2c was transformed into trans-oak lactone I in a few steps. Following this route, 2a, 2b, and 2d would produce other stereoisomers of oak lactone.     

The first total synthesis of (±)-zenkequinone B

The first total synthesis of tetrahydrobenzo[a]anthraquinone natural product (±)-zenkequinone B (1) is reported. The key step involves the TiCl₄-promoted intramolecular cyclization of 4-aryl-2-hydroxybutanal diethyl acetal 4 to give compound 3. The total synthesis of (±)-zenekequinone B (1) has been accomplished in five steps from readily available 2-(chloromethyl)-9,10-dimethoxyanthracene (5) in 40.3% overall yield.     

Trifluoroacetaldehyde: A useful industrial bulk material for the synthesis of trifluoromethylated amino compounds

The synthesis of various trifluoromethylated amino compounds was studied using trifluoroacetaldehyde, an industrial bulk material, as a starting compound. One general application of trifluoroacetaldehyde is the preparation of trifluoroethylamino derivatives via reductive amination reaction. This synthesis includes the formation of the corresponding N,O-acetal intermediates followed by their reduction using NaBH₄ or 2-picoline borane complex, affording the target trifluoroethylamino compounds in moderate to good yields (47-87%).Another general application of trifluoroacetaldehyde is the synthesis of chiral α-substituted trifluoroethylamino compounds. In this synthesis, trifluoroacetaldehyde was first converted into the chiral trifluoromethyl tert-butyl sulfinimine, which was subjected to 1,2-nucleophilic addition reactions across its CN double bond. The addition of phenyllithium afforded α-(phenyl)trifluoroethylamino derivative in 83% yield and with 96% de. Allylation and Reformatsky reactions produced the corresponding α-substituted trifluoroethylamino derivatives in 82 and 58% yields and with 90 and 91% de, respectively.