Synthesis of the fully functionalized ABCDE ring moiety of ciguatoxin

A fully functionalized ABCDE ring moiety of ciguatoxin (CTX), the major causative agent of ciguatera poisoning, was synthesized for the first time. The present strategy involves the efficient installation of the C5-dihydroxybutenyl substituent and construction of the tetrahydrooxepin E ring using a novel alpha-chlorosulfide synthon. [structure: see text]     

Cobalt-mediated two-carbon ring expansion of five-membered rings. Electrophilic carbon-carbon bond activation in the synthesis of seven-membered rings

Electrophilic cobalt(III) mediates an unprecedented two-carbon ring expansion of coordinated five-membered rings, leading to a remarkably general new strategy for the synthesis of seven-membered carbocycles from readily available five-membered ring substrates. The reaction, a metal-mediated [5 + 2] cyclopentenyl/alkyne cycloaddition, proceeds via initial protonation of a cobalt(I) cyclopentadiene complex, followed by rearrangement to an agostic eta3-cyclopentenyl intermediate. The cyclic eta3-allyl residue then undergoes migratory coupling with alkyne followed by carbon-carbon bond activation of the unstrained five-membered ring and recyclization to the ring expanded product, although the order of events and intimate mechanism has not been conclusively established. The reaction is highly selective with respect to which five-membered ring ligand undergoes activation, presumably a consequence of rapid cobalt-mediated interannular hydride transfer and kinetic preference for alkyne insertion into the less substituted cyclopentenyl ring. The alkyne insertion is itself highly regioselective, proceeding via migration to the sterically smaller end of the alkyne. The reaction is sensitive to both the cobalt counterion and the ancillary eta5-cyclopentadienyl substituent but proceeds for a considerable range of alkyl-, aryl-, and trialkylsilyl-substituted terminal and internal alkynes.     

Total Syntheses of (+)‐Aquatolide and Related Humulanolides

The short, efficient total synthesis of (+)‐aquatolide was achieved by a biomimetic transannular [2+2] photocycloaddition, and provides the first example of constructing a 5/5/4/8‐ring system from asteriscunolides. Furthermore, the reaction leading to a 5/4/4/7‐ring system, the originally proposed structure of aquatolide, was also developed. This strategy achieved syntheses of five more humulanolides, (?)‐asteriscunolides A, C, D, and I, and (+)‐tetradehydroasteriscanolide.     

Asymmetric total synthesis of 5′-epi-paecilomycin-F

The asymmetric total synthesis of one of the stereoisomers of the naturally occurring 14-membered ring macrolide paecilomycin-F (5′-epi) has been reported in this article. The main highlight of the synthetic strategy involves the successful application of a ring closing metathesis (RCM) reaction at a late stage. Asymmetric Keck allylation, Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, and Mitsunobu esterification have also been used successfully for the total synthesis of 5′-epi-paecilomycin-F.     

An efficient aldol-based approach for the synthesis of dihydrokawain-5-ol

An efficient and simple aldol-based convergent approach toward the total synthesis of (+)- and (?)-dihydrokawain-5-ol is described. The key features of this synthetic strategy include Evans’ aldol reaction and an ethyl acetate addition reaction for the formation of the six-membered ring.     

Semisynthesis of new D-seco-C-nor-taxane derivatives containing a polyfunctionalized furanosyl or cyclopentenyl or cyclopentyl C-ring

The synthesis of new D-seco-C-nor-taxane derivatives in which the D-ring has been deleted and the C-ring has been transformed into a new pentatomic ring, i.e., the polyfunctionalized tetrahydrofuranosyl and cyclopentenyl or cyclopentyl ring, was performed starting from baccatin III derivatives. The synthetic strategy adopted took advantage of the oxetane ring opening and disconnection of the C4-C5 bond, followed by an intramolecular condensation. The formation of furanosyl or cyclopentyl rings is strictly dependent on the presence of unprotected or protected oxygen at C-7 in the starting material. The reactions proceeded with good diastereoselectivity with control of the stereochemistry of one or two stereocenters.     

First approach to the frondosin C ring system via a tandem cyclization/Claisen rearrangement sequence

[reaction: see text] A one-pot tandem 5-exo cyclization/Claisen rearrangement strategy is utilized as the key step in the straightforward construction of the tetracyclic ring system of frondosin C. This reaction is done under microwave irradiation in the presence of catalytic MeLi.     

Ring Reconstruction on a Trichalcogenasumanene Buckybowl: A Facile Approach to Donor–Acceptor‐Type [5‐6‐7] Fused Planar Polyheterocycles

The transformation of trichalcogenasumanene buckybowls into donor–acceptor‐type [5‐6‐7] fused polyheterocycles is disclosed. The strategy involves a highly efficient ring‐opening of the flanking benzene upon oxidation at room temperature, and facile ring closure by functional‐group transformation. Crystallographic studies indicate that the resulting [5‐6‐7] fused polyheterocycles possess a planar conformation owing to the release of ring strain by expansion of one of the six‐membered flanking rings to the seven‐membered one. Additionally, the [5‐6‐7] fused polyheterocycles bear electron‐withdrawing groups, which reduce the HOMO–LUMO energy gap, and display broad absorption bands extending to λ=590 nm. Consequently, these compounds show strong red emission with fluorescence quantum yields of up to 38 %.     

Synthetic methods for spirofuran-2(5H)-ones (microreview)

Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds - This microreview focuses on the preparation of spirofuran-2(5H)-ones, including ipso substitution strategy, PPh3-catalyzed reactions, ring opening reactions,...     

New strategy for the synthesis of iminoglycitols from amino acids

A novel strategy for the enantioselective synthesis of polyhydroxypiperidines, which can be considered as iminoglycitols or 2,6-dideoxyazasugars, was developed. alpha-Benzolsulfonylamino esters served as a C(2)N building block while 2-bromo-3-(bromomethyl)oxazoles and -thiazoles contributed a C3-unit to the final piperidine ring. At first a dihydropyridine ring was established via alkylation and bromine-lithium exchange. The keto group of the resulting 5,6-dihydro[1,3]oxazolo- and 5,6-dihydro[1,3]thiazolo[4,5-c]pyridin-7(4H)-ones was reduced and, after alkylation reactions, the azole ring was cleaved, thus providing heteroatom substituents for the target piperdines. Protected 5-amino-3,4-dihydroxy and 5-amino-3-hydroxy-4-thiohydroxypiperdines were obtained in the talose series while Mitsunobu reaction of the intermiediates provided access to the altrose series.     

A new stereoselective synthesis of ciguatoxin right wing fragments

The right wings (13 and 14) of ciguatoxins were synthesized highly stereoselectively. Key transformations in the synthesis are (i) an oxiranyl anion strategy to attach the H ring, (ii) intramolecular carbonyl olefination to cyclize the J ring, (iii) regio- and stereoselective reduction of the epoxyacetal to install the C42-stereocenter, and (iv) stereoselective reductive etherification to construct the K ring. The present procedure greatly improved the stereoselectivity and efficiency in comparison to a previous synthesis. Remarkably, only 23 steps were required from monocyclic I ring 5 to construct the ciguatoxin right wings. The high practicality of the present synthesis ensures a sufficient supply of these complex fragments for total syntheses and biomedical applications.     

Application of the Pictet-Spengler reaction to aryl amine-based substrates having pyrimidine as a π-nucleophile: synthesis of pyrimidoquinolines with structural analogy to benzonaphthyridines present in alkaloids

Synthesis of pyrimidine annulated quinolines, structurally analogous to biologically active benzonaphthyridines present in alkaloids, has been described. Our synthetic strategy is based on the modified Pictet-Spengler reaction involving substrates comprising deactivated pyrimidine ring as the nucleophilic partner whereas aryl amine originating from the C-4 of the pyrimidine ring served as the source for electrophilic partner. The resulting substrates 5-7 with diversity at 2- and 6-position after condensation with a variety of aldehydes underwent 6-endo cyclization to furnish pyrimido[5,4-c]quinolines 14 in good yields. However, attempts to further extend this strategy on new structurally analogous substrate involving the pyridine ring as nucleophilic partner failed, thus limiting the scope of the reaction.     

Divergent Asymmetric Total Synthesis of Mulinane Diterpenoids

A concise, divergent, asymmetric total syntheses of mulinane diterpenoids has been achieved. Specifically, a new strategy was developed featuring a key intramolecular Friedel–Crafts reaction to construct the chiral fused 5‐6‐6 tricyclic motif, followed by sequential Birch reduction, conjugate methylation, and homologation/ring‐expansion reactions to furnish the desired 5‐6‐7 tricyclic skeleton bearing five contiguous stereocenters. With this efficient strategy, seven mulinane diterpenoids and two analogues were synthesized via late‐stage functional modification or functionalization in 8.6–20 % overall yields and 11–15 steps.     

Design and synthesis of a new polymer-supported Evans-type oxazolidinone: an efficient chiral auxiliary in the solid-phase asymmetric alkylation reactions

Wang resin-supported Evans' chiral auxiliary (23) was designed based on a novel polymer-anchoring strategy, which utilizes the 5-position of the oxazolidinone ring, and its new synthetic route applicable to multi-gram preparation in just a day was developed. Solid-phase Evans' asymmetric alkylation on 23-derived N-acylimide resin and following lithium hydroperoxide-mediated chemoselective hydrolysis afforded the corresponding α-branched carboxylic acids in desired high stereoselectivities (up to 97% ee) and moderate to good overall yield (up to 70%, for 3 steps), which were comparable to those of the conventional solution-phase methods. Furthermore, recovery and recycling of the polymer-supported chiral auxiliary were successfully achieved without decreasing the stereoselectivity of the product. Therefore, this is the first successful example that the solid-phase Evans' asymmetric enolate-alkylation was efficiently performed on the solid-support, and it is concluded that the connection to the solid-support via the 5-position of the oxazolidinone ring is an ideal strategy in the solid-phase Evans' chiral auxiliary.     

Progress toward the total synthesis of frondosin C

A straightforward approach toward the total synthesis of frondosin C is described. This strategy involves a key one-pot, microwave-assisted 5-exo cyclization-Claisen rearrangement sequence that was used for the expedient assembly of the frondosic C scaffold. Subsequent manipulation of the tetracyclic core allowed the synthesis of an advanced intermediate bearing the characteristic diene moiety in the B ring. [reaction: see text]     

Solid-phase synthesis of biaryl cyclic peptides containing a histidine-tyrosine linkage

A solid-phase strategy for the synthesis of biaryl cyclic peptides containing a side-chain to side-chain His-Tyr linkage was developed. The key step was the macrocyclization of a linear peptidyl resin incorporating a 5-bromohistidine and a 3-boronotyrosine via the formation of the biaryl bond by means of a microwave-assisted Suzuki-Miyaura reaction. This method allowed direct access to biaryl cyclic peptides containing a 3- or 5-amino acid ring and bearing the histidine residue at the N- or the C-terminus, being especially conducive for analogues in which this amino acid is located at the C-terminus. This study also served to establish a strategy for the synthesis of biaryl cyclic peptides derived from the two hemispheres of the natural biaryl bicyclic peptides aciculitins.     

Total synthesis of (-)-gambierol

The first total synthesis of (-)-gambierol (1), a marine polycyclic ether toxin, has been achieved. Key features of the successful synthesis include (1) a convergent union of the ABC and EFGH ring fragments (5 and 6, respectively) via our developed B-alkyl Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling strategy leading to the octacyclic polyether core 4 and (2) a late-stage introduction of the sensitive triene side chain by use of Pd(PPh(3))(4)/CuCl/LiCl-promoted Stille coupling. The ABC ring fragment 5 was synthesized in a linear manner (B --> AB --> ABC), wherein the A ring was formed by intramolecular hetero-Michael reaction and the C ring was constructed via 6-endo cyclization of hydroxy epoxide 7. An improved synthetic entry to the EFGH ring fragment 6 is also described, in which SmI(2)-induced reductive cyclization methodology was applied to the stereoselective construction of the F and H rings, leading to 6 with remarkable overall efficiency. Stereoselective hydroboration of 5 and subsequent Suzuki-Miyaura coupling with 6 provided endocyclic enol ether 45 in high yield, which was then converted to octacyclic polyether core 4. Careful choice of the global deprotection stage was a key element for the successful total synthesis. Functionalization of the H ring and global desilylation gave (Z)-vinyl bromide 2. Finally, cross-coupling of 2 with (Z)-vinyl stannane 3 under Corey's Pd(PPh(3))(4)/CuCl/LiCl-promoted Stille conditions completed the total synthesis of (-)-gambierol (1).     

An alternative to the use of delta-lactam urethanes in the "ring switch" approach to higher homologues of AMPA-type glutamate antagonists

In an alternative strategy to the use of delta-lactam urethanes for the preparation of homologues of AMPA-type glutamate antagonists, we have used 5-exomethylene derivatives of pyroglutamate esters. The homochiral pyrazole amino acid derivatives 18 and 19 have been prepared in this way. Although this synthesis yields products with a glycine residue separated from a heterocyclic ring by two carbon atoms, the substitution of the heterocyclic ring is different from that in compounds prepared from delta-lactam urethanes. The branched chain compounds 32 and 33 have also been prepared in this way but the second chiral centre is epimerised during the synthesis. An interesting reaction, giving the pyridone 27 from the imino ether 24 and tert-butyl acetoacetate, is also reported.     

Total syntheses of melinonine-E and strychnoxanthine: Evolution of the synthetic strategy enabled by novel method development

In this full account, the evolution of a synthetic strategy was detailed from a nitroso-ene cyclization to an aza-Wacker reaction for ring construction in the syntheses of melinonine-E and strychnoxanthine. The aza-Wacker cyclization to form the bridged ring was successfully developed and applied in the first asymmetric syntheses of melinonine-E and strychnoxanthine in 5–6 steps from a readily available chiral lactone. The proposed biogenesis of these two rare β-carbolinium alkaloids was revised based on their absolute configurations. Moreover, the substrate scope of the aza-Wacker cyclization demonstrated its potential for accessing various bridged ring skeletons. The mechanistic investigation established that the profound effect of the N-substituent on the amide was crucial to the success of the cyclization via the tunable amidopalladation pathway.     

Two-step metal-mediated transformation of isoxazolidine-5-spirocyclopropanes into pyridone derivatives

[reaction: see text] The two-step metal-catalyzed overall transformation of isoxazolidine-5-spirocyclopropanes into the corresponding dihydro- and tetrahydropyridones is described. The first step is the chemoselective reduction of the N-O bond of the isoxazolidine ring preserving the fragile cyclopropanol moiety while the second transformation is the Pd(II) or Pd(0) conversion of the beta-aminocyclopropanol derivatives into the final compounds. The scope and limitations of this strategy are described.