Highly efficient and diastereoselective synthesis of (+)-lineatin

[reaction: see text] A linear sequence was used to synthesize (+)-lineatin in 14 steps and 14% overall yield from a homochiral 2(5H)-furanone. Key steps of this synthetic approach feature the diastereoselective construction of a cyclobutene through a photochemical [2 + 2] cycloaddition and a regiocontrolled oxymercuration reaction.     

Total synthesis of (+)-cyanthiwigin U

A concise total synthesis of the tricyclic terpene cyanthiwigin U has been accomplished in 12 steps and 17% overall yield. The key step of the synthesis is a two-directional tandem metathesis reaction that forms the cyclohepta[e]indene core from a readily available bicyclo[2.2.2]octene.     

Rapid synthesis of the N-methylwelwitindolinone skeleton

An efficient, convergent synthesis of the core bicyclo[4.3.1]decane ring system of welwitindolinones is described. Key steps in the synthesis include an intramolecular palladium-catalyzed enolate arylation reaction to create the desired bicyclic skeleton and a Curtius rearrangement to install the bridgehead isocyanate unit. [reaction: see text]     

Bidirectional racemic synthesis of the biologically active quinone cardinalin 3

Readily available 2,2',6,6'-tetramethoxy-1,1'-biphenyl was transformed in 14 synthetic steps into the natural product cardinalin 3 using a bidirectional approach. One of the key steps was the formation of the cis-1,3-dimethylnaphtho[2,3-c]pyran ring. (+/-)-1,1'-[6,6'-Diallyl-5,5'-bis(benzyloxy)-1,1',3,3'-tetramethoxy-2,2'-binaphthalene-7,7'-diyl]diethanol was treated with O(2) in the presence of CuCl(2) and catalytic PdCl(2) to afford 5,5'-bis(benzyloxy)-7,7',9,9'-tetramethoxy-1,1',3,3'-tetramethyl-1H,1'H-8,8'-bibenzo[g]isochromene. Hydrogenation of this compound afforded 7,7',9,9'-tetramethoxy-cis-1,3-cis-1',3'-tetramethyl-3,3',4,4'-tetrahydro-1H,1'H-8,8'-bibenzo[g]isochromene-5,5'-diol in quantitative yield, which was converted in 3 steps to cardinalin 3.     

Studies toward the total synthesis of garsubellin A: a concise synthesis of the 18-epi-tricyclic core

[reaction: see text] During studies directed toward the total synthesis of garsubellin A, a concise stereocontrolled synthesis of the 18-epi-tricyclic compound 3 was achieved. Key steps were a one-pot stereoselective construction of the bicyclic lactone 23 followed by a formal migration to the bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane-1,3,5-trione and an intramolecular Wacker-type tetrahydrofuran ring formation.     

Expedient synthesis of highly substituted fused heterocoumarins

[reaction: see text] Highly substituted fused coumarins can be prepared in two steps starting from the appropriate boronic acids and enol triflates. The synthesis of fused pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidin-7-one (1) is a key example to demonstrate the potential of the method in the elaboration of new coumarin scaffolds.     

First asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-sparteine

[reaction: see text] The total synthesis of (+)-sparteine was accomplished from 2,5-norbornadione in 15 steps and 15.7% overall yield. The key steps were two ring-expansion reactions, one involving an intramolecular Schmidt reaction and one using a novel variant of the photo-Beckmann rearrangement.     

Stereoselective synthesis and immunogenic activity of the C-analogue of sulfatide

[Structure: see text] The C-sulfatide 1b was synthesized through a [2,3]-Wittig sigmatropic rearrangement and a Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination as the key steps. The C-analogue 1b is less immunogenic than natural sulfatide 1a, but induces a preferential secretion of the proinflammatory cytokine IFN-gamma.     

A synthesis of (+)-salvadione-A

[reaction: see text] The p-benzoquinone shown is converted to the novel hexacyclic triterpene salvadione-A in four steps.     

Total synthesis of (−)-martinellic acid

An enantioselective formal total synthesis of the pyrrolo[3,2-c]quinoline natural product martinellic acid has been achieved. The key steps involve a Pd-catalyzed aryl amidation reaction of a pyrroglutamate derivative, an intramolecular [3+2] azomethine ylide-alkene cycloaddition and a reductive ring opening reaction.     

Stereoselective total synthesis of bazzanene

3azzanene, the stereoisomer of trichodiene, isolated from a liverwort was synthesized with complete stereoselectivity in 8 steps (12% yield) starting from a known bicyclo[2.2.2]octane derivative.     

Total synthesis of (+/-)-hapalindole Q

[reaction: see text] The total synthesis of the antibacterial and antimycotic alkaloid hapalindole Q has been achieved in eight steps and 12.4% overall yield. The key step involves a regio- and diastereoselective Diels-Alder reaction to afford a bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene. This cycloadduct was subsequently dihydroxylated, cleaved, and converted to the natural product.     

One-pot multistep Bohlmann-Rahtz heteroannulation reactions: synthesis of dimethyl sulfomycinamate

[reaction: see text] The synthesis of dimethyl sulfomycinamate, the acidic methanolysis product of the sulfomycin family of thiopeptide antibiotics, from methyl 2-oxo-4-(trimethylsilyl)but-3-ynoate is achieved in a 2,3,6-trisubstituted pyridine synthesis that proceeds with total regiocontrol in 13 steps by the Bohlmann-Rahtz heteroannulation of a 1-(oxazol-4-yl)enamine or in 12 steps and 9% yield by three-component cyclocondensation with N-[3-oxo-3-(oxazol-4-yl)propanoyl]serine and ammonia in ethanol.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-rogioloxepane A

[reactiojn: see text] The enantioselective synthesis of (+)-rogioloxepane A has been achieved in 21 steps from 1,5-hexadien-3-ol. The key steps in the synthesis are an asymmetric glycolate alkylation leading to the diene 2 and a subsequent ring-closing metathesis to construct the oxepene core.     

Selective synthesis and crystal structure of [10]cycloparaphenylene

[10]Cycloparaphenylene ([10]CPP) was selectively synthesized in four steps in 13% overall yield from commercially available 4,4'-diiodobiphenyl by using mono-I-Sn exchange, Sn-Pt transmetalation, I-Pd exchange, and subsequent oxidative coupling reactions. The single-crystal X-ray structure of [10]CPP is described.     

An efficient synthesis of a spirocyclic oxindole analogue

An efficient, scaleable synthesis approach towards the spirocyclic oxindole analogue 1'-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-2-oxospiro[indoline-3,4'-piperidine]-5-carboxylic acid (1) is described. The key steps are dianion alkylation and cyclization of ethyl 2- oxindoline-5-carboxylate (4) and demethylation of the resulting spirocyclic oxindole ethyl 1'-methyl-2-oxospiro[indoline-3,4'-piperidine]-5-carboxylate (5). The target compound was obtained in an overall yield of 35 % over eight steps without resorting to chromatographic purification.     

Total synthesis of luminacin D

[reaction: see text] A highly convergent synthesis of the angiogenesis inhibitor luminacin D has been achieved in 13 linear steps (19 steps total, 5.3% overall yield) utilizing a samarium(II) iodide-mediated mixed tandem aldol/Evans-Tishchenko reaction to construct the carbohydrate precursor. The modular synthetic design will allow derivatization at key positions necessary for biochemical mode of action studies.     

Asymmetric synthesis of the northern half C1-C16 of the bryostatins

Starting from 8-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-6-en-3-one and racemic 2,2-dimethyl-8-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-6-en-3-one, the C1-C16 segment of the bryostatins has been synthesized in 30 steps and 9% overall yield (17 steps longest linear sequence). Fragment coupling by dithiane strategy and protecting group manipulations provided an advanced chemodifferentiated northern half segment.     

Stereoselective synthesis of 2,4-methanoproline homologues

The stereoselective synthesis of 2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-1-carboxylic acid and 6-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane-5-carboxylic acid, novel rigid bicyclic proline analogues, is reported. The synthesis was performed in five steps from the corresponding 2-cycloalken-1-ones. A known approach to 2,4-methanoproline is improved. The three amino acids constitute a library of conformationally constrained proline analogues, which can be used for the design of peptidomimetics and peptide models.     

A novel bornane synthesis by an old idea

Aiming at a synthesis of spiro[2.4]hepta-4,6-dienes with a carbon substituent at C-4, we investigated solvolysis reactions of the thiatricycle 2, obtained from spiro[2.4]hepta-4,6-diene (1) and thiophosgene by [4 + 2] cycloaddition. With methanol or ethanol a mixture of the esters 7 and 8 was formed. Desulfurization of the thionoesters 8 gave methyl and ethyl spiro[2.4]hepta-4,6-diene-4-carboxylate (10a,b). The corresponding alcohol (11) was prepared from 10b by LiAlH(4) reduction. Ethenetetracarbonitrile combined with the 4-substituted spiro[2.4]hepta-4,6-dienes to give the [4 + 2] cycloadducts 12a-c. Diels-Alder reaction between 11 and 2-chloroacrylonitrile afforded the spiro(bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-7,1'-cyclopropane) derivative 14a that was transformed in three steps to rac-10-hydroxycamphor (17). This synthesis of a bornane derivative opens opportunity for variations and thus may find further applications.