Total synthesis of (-)-(6S,7S,8S,9R,10S,2'S)-membrenone-A and (-)-(6S,7S,8S,9R,10S)- membrenone-B and structural assignment of membrenone-C

[reaction: see text] (-)-(6S,7S,8S,9R,10S,2'S)-Membrenone-A and (-)-(6S,7S,8S,9R,10S)-membrenone-B were prepared in 11 steps (3% and 2.4% overall yield, respectively). Key steps included a tin(II)-mediated aldol followed by a syn selective reduction, giving the C7-C9 stereocenters, a second chain extending aldol coupling, and a p-TsOH-promoted cyclization/dehydration giving the common gamma-dihydropyrone precursor. We have thus established that synthetic (-)-(6S,7S,8S,9R,10S,2'S)-membrenone-A, (-)-(6S,7S,8S,9R,10S)-membrenone-B, and (-)-(6S,7S,8S,9R,10S)-membrenone-C are the enantiomers of the natural products.     

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of (3R,4S)- and (3S,4R)-3-methoxy-4-methylaminopyrrolidine

An efficient and a convenient enantioselective synthesis of (3R,4S)-3-methoxy-4-methylaminopyrrolidine has been carried out by a lipase-mediated resolution protocol. This method describes the preparation of (±)-1-Cbz-cis-3-azido-4-hydroxypyrrolidine starting from commercially available diallylamine followed by ring-closing metathesis (RCM) via S_N2 displacement reactions. Pseudomonas cepacia lipase immobilized on diatomaceous earth (Amano PS-D) provides (3R,4S)-11 and (3S,4R)-12 in an excellent enantiomeric excess.     

Enantiospecific first total synthesis of (6S,7R)-silphiperfolan-6-ol

Enantiospecific first total synthesis of the angular triquinane sesquiterpene (6S,7R)-silphiperfolan-6-ol has been accomplished, starting from 2-(3-isopropenyl-2-methylene-1-methylcyclopent-1-yl)acetic acid (readily available from (R)-limonene) employing an efficient, regioselective intramolecular rhodium carbenoid insertion into the CH bond of a tertiary methyl group as the key step.     

Asymmetric total synthesis of 14(R),15(S)-, 14(S),15(R)-, 14(R),15(R)-, and 14(S),15(S)-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids

The four chiral stereoisomers of 14,15-oxido-5Z, 8Z, 11Z-eicosatrienoic acid were synthesized. The absolute stereochemistry in each case was derived from an asymmetric epoxidation of E-2-octen-1-ol.     

Mesogenic properties of chiral compounds derived from 2( S )-[2( S )-ethylhexyloxy] propionic acid and its ( S, R )-diastereomer

Two acids, 2( S )-[2( S )-ethylhexyloxy] propionic acid and 2( S )-[2( R )-ethylhexyloxy] propionic acid, were used as the chiral building block for the preparation of four liquid crystals 5, 6, 7 and 8 . The diastereomers of the biphenyl ring system, 5 and 6 , possess the phase sequence I-N * -SmC * -Cr1-Cr2, while the diastereomers of the naphthalene ring system, 7 and 8 , exhibit the sequence I-SmA-SmC * -Cr. The temperature ranges of the SmC * phase for 5 and 6 are wider than those for 7 and 8 ; the phase transition temperatures of the SmC * phase for 7 and 8 are lower than those for 5 and 6 . In the case of the diastereomers of naphthalene ring system, the larger the size of the lateral substituent at the second chiral centre, i.e. ethyl or methyl group, the wider the temperature range of the SmC * phase.     

Synthesis of (S)-6-methylhept-5-en-2-ol, the aggregation pheromone ofGnathotrichus sulcatus

An enantioselective (ee−50%) four-step synthesis of (S)-6-methylhept-5-en-2-ol (“sulcatol”), which is the aggregation pheromone ofGnathotrichus sulcatus, from 3S,7-dimethylocta-1,6-diene was developed. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 713–717, April, 2000.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (2S,3S,7S)-3,7-dimethylpentadecan-2-ol and its propionate,the sex pheromones of pine sawflies

The stereoselective synthesis of (2S,3S,7S)-3,7-dimethylpentadecan-2-ol (diprionol) and its propionate, the sex pheromones of pine sawflies (Neodiprion sp. and other), in high enantiomeric purity was achieved from (1R,3S)-2,2-dichloro-3-methylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid. The carbon skeleton of diprionol was formed via copper-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions and diastereoselective methylation of the intermediate chiral α-methylbranched aldehyde with MeTi(Oi-Pr)₃ in the presence of [(R,R)-TADDOL]Ti(Oi-Pr)₂. The latter transformation leads to a syn-adduct with high stereoselectivity, which depends on the presence and configuration of the α-stereogenic center in the aldehyde. The diastereomeric purity of (2S,3S,7S)-diprionol can be substantially increased via crystallization of its 3,5-dinitrobenzoate.     

Synthesis of (5R,8S,10R)-6-(Allyloxy)- and (5R,8S,10R)-6-(Propyloxy)ergolines from the 6-Methyl Precursors

Novel (5R,8S,10R)-6-(allyloxy)- and (5R,8S,10R)-6-(propyloxy)ergolines have been synthesized by use of a Meisenheimer [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of a (5R,8S,10R)-6-allyl-ergoline N⁶-oxide as key step.     

(R,R)-2,3-Butanediol and (s)-pinanediol allylboronates in chiral synthesis of (2S,3S)-3-methyl-5-hexen-2-ol

(R,R)-Butanediol (dichloromethyl)boronate ( 1 ) with 1 equiv. allylmagnesium halide yields (R,R)-2,3-butanediol (1S)-(1-chloro-3-butenyl)boronate ( 3 ) together with the diallylated product (R,R)-2,3-butanediol (1-allyl-3-butenyl)boronate ( 4 ). The formation of 4 is unprecedented in reactions of α-chloroboronic esters with Grignard reagents. With methylmagnesium bromide 3 yielded (R,R)-2,3-butanediol (1S)-(1-methyl-3-butenyl)boronate ( 5 ), which failed to hydrolyze with water. Hydrolysis of 3 yielded impure α-chloroboronic acid, which was esterified with pinacol and treated with methylmagnesium bromide to form 6 , which with (dichloromethyl)lithium followed by methylmagnesium bromide yielded diastereomeric boronic esters 7 and 8 . Oxidation by hydrogen peroxide yielded (2S,3S)- and (2R,3S)-3-methyl-5-hexen-2-ol ( 9 and 10 , ees unknown). Treatment of (s)-pinanediol allylboronate ( 11 ) with (dichloromethyl)lithium at −100°C followed by zinc chloride at up to 25°C has proceeded in the normal way to form (s)-pinanediol (1S)-(1-chloro-3-butenyl)-boronate ( 12 ), which has been elaborated via 13 , 14 , and 15 to (2S,3S)-3-methyl-5-hexen-2-ol ( 9 ) in 95% de.     

The first facile total synthesis of natural （3R,4R,6S）-3, 4-epoxybisabola- 7 （ 14 ）, 10-dien-2-one

3,4-Epoxybisabola-7(14),10-dien-2-one,a natural sesquiterpoind,was first synthesized from(-)-carvone through 7 steps,in an overall yield of 35.9%.The key step was the allylation and then a substrate-directable epoxidation was committed successfully.     

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of (R)-(+)-2-methylbutan-1-ol,a chiral synthon for the preparation of optically active pheromones

Optically active (R)-(+)-2-methylbutan-1-ol (which is not commercially available) was prepared by a chemoenzymatic synthesis, in which the key step involved a reduction catalyzed by baker's yeast. The synthon was used in the synthesis of (R)-10-methyldodecan-1-yl acetate, the chiral methyl-branched pheromone of Adoxophyes sp.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (R)-10-methyltridecan-2-one,the sex pheromone of the southern corn rootworm,using (4S)-benzylthiazolidinethione as a chiral auxiliary

The stereoselective synthesis of (R)-10-methyltridecan-2-one, the sex pheromone of the southern corn rootworm, was carried out in 20.7% overall yield based on (4S)-benzylthiazolidinethione (five steps). In the crucial step, the stereogenic center was generated by an asymmetric Michael addition using enantiomerically pure (4S)-benzylthiazolidinethione as a chiral auxiliary.     

(R)-4-Menthenone in the synthesis of optically pure sex pheromone of the peach leafminer moth (Lyonetia clerkella)

The synthesis of (14S)-methyloctadec-1-ene, sex pheromone of the peach leafminer moth (Lyonetia clerkella), is described to demonstrate a new potential of the synthetic use of (R)-4-menthenone.     

Convenient synthesis of （2S,3R,4R,5S,6R）-2-（3-（4-ethylbenzyl）-4- chlorophenyl）-6-（hydroxymethyl）-tetrahydro- 2H-pyran-3,4,5-triol

A convenient approach for the preparation of （2S,3R,4R,5S,6R）-2-（3-（4-ethylbenzyl）-4-chlorophenyl）-6-（hydroxymethyl）- tetrahydro-2H-pyran-3,4,5-triol I is developed. The target compound via four steps is synthesized from 4-bromo-2-（bromomethyl）- 1-chlorobenzene and the isomers of undesired ortho-products were avoided during the preparation.     

Enantioselective synthesis of (10S)- and (10R)-methyl-anandamides

For the development of novel endocannabinoid templates with potential resistance to hydrolytic and oxidative metabolism, we are targeting the bis-allylic carbons of the arachidonoyl skeleton. Toward this end, we recently disclosed the synthesis and preliminary biological data for the (13S)-methyl-anandamide. We report now the total synthesis of the (10S)- and (10R)-methyl-counterparts. Our synthetic approach is stereospecific, efficient, and provides the analogs without the need for resolution. Peptide coupling, P-2 nickel partial hydrogenation, and cis-selective Wittig olefination are the key steps.     

Synthesis of (1S,4R)-4-isopropyl-1-methyl-2-cyclohexen-1-ol,the aggregation pheromone of the ambrosia beetle Platypus quercivorus,its racemate, (1R,4R)- and (1S,4S)-isomers

(S)-Perillyl alcohol was converted to (R)-cryptone (91.5–93% ee) in six steps, which was then treated with methyllithium to give (1S,4R)-4-isopropyl-1-methyl-2-cyclohexen-1-ol, the aggregation pheromone of the ambrosia beetle Platypus quercivorus. The racemic pheromone was also prepared by methylation of (±)-cryptone. Both (1R,4R)- and (1S,4S)-isomers (98% ee) of the pheromone were synthesized from the enantiomers of dihydrolimonene oxide.     

Synthesis from D-xylose of the salt marsh caterpillar moth pheromone (3Z,6Z,9S,10R)-epoxyheneicosadiene and its (3Z,6E)-stereoisomer.

A ten-step synthesis of the title pheromone and its (3Z,6E)-stereoisomer from an acyclic derivative of D-xylose is described.