First total syntheses of (+/-)-penicillones A and B

The first total syntheses of (+/-)-penicillones A (1) and B (2) have been accomplished from 2-methoxy-4,6-dimethylphenol (7) in 9 and 8 synthetic steps, respectively. Intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of masked o-benzoquinone 8 and aqueous acid-catalyzed intramolecular aldol reaction are the key steps.     

First total synthesis of the 4a-methyltetrahydrofluorene diterpenoids (+/-)-dichroanal B and (+/-)-dichroanone

[reaction: see text] A simple synthesis of the 4a-methyltetrahydrofluorene diterpenoids (+/-)-dichroanal B and (+/-)-dichroanone has been achieved through a common hexahydrofluorenone intermediate obtained via Pd(0)-catalyzed reductive cyclization of a substituted 2-(2-bromobenzyl) methylene cyclohexane.     

First total synthesis of (+/-)-stemonamide and (+/-)-isostemonamide

[structure: see text] The total synthesis of the tetracyclic alkaloids stemonamide (1) and isostemonamide (2) is presented. The key step is the reaction between a silyloxyfuran and an N-acyliminium ion. The second quaternary center is created by an intramolecular aldol spirocyclization. After 1,4-addition of an appropriate side chain, the methyl and double bond are installed by Mannich reaction. The seven-membered ring is closed by intramolecular nucleophilic displacement.     

General route to 4a-methylhydrofluorene diterpenoids: total syntheses of (+/-)-taiwaniaquinones d and h, (+/-)-taiwaniaquinol B, (+/-)-dichroanal B, and (+/-)-dichroanone

A general and convergent route for the synthesis of the 4a-methylhydrofluorene diterpenoids has been established through a common hexahydrofluorenone intermediate (10) obtained via Pd(0)-catalyzed reductive cyclization of a substituted 2-(2-bromobenzyl) methylene cyclohexane (13). The strategy has been successfully utilized for the synthesis of (+/-)-taiwaniaquinones D (3) and H (5), (+/-)-taiwaniaquinol B (1), (+/-)-dichroanal B (7), and (+/-)-dichroanone (8).     

First total synthesis of (+/-)-taxifolial a and (+/-)-iso-caulerpenyne

The first synthesis of (+/-)-taxifolial A and iso-caulerpenyne was accomplished. The key steps in the sequence are (1) the stereoselective assembly of a vinyltin derived from butynediol and a functionalized aldehyde and (2) the construction of the dienyne moiety via a Stille cross-coupling.     

Total syntheses of (+/-)-montanin A and (+/-)-teuscorolide

The first total syntheses of (+/-)-montanin A and (+/-)-teuscorolide have been achieved from an advanced precursor previously developed via a Diels-Alder strategy; in the synthetic sequence, the synthesis of montanin A was first accomplished in 8 steps, from which teuscorolide was readily achieved in 2 steps by using a novel furan oxidative cyclization-retro-cyclization process as a key operation.     

Formal syntheses of (+/-)-pinnaic acid and (+/-)-halichlorine

[chemical reaction: see text]. Concise formal syntheses of marine alkaloids (+/-)-pinnaic acid (1) and (+/-)-halichlorine (2) have been accomplished from a common intermediate. The syntheses illustrate the utility of selective olefin cross metathesis methodologies for the elaboration of advanced synthetic intermediates in complex molecule synthesis.     

Assessing synthetic strategies: total syntheses of (+/-)-neodolabellane-type diterpenoids

Two strategies, namely a cross-metathesis/ring-closing metathesis and Pd-catalyzed Stille allylation/Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi coupling, are examined for the preparation of neodolabellane-type diterpenoids 1 and 2. Whereas the first approach possessed synthetic limitations, the latter was successfully employed to provide compounds 1 and 2 in 8.8% (14 steps) and 8% (15 steps) overall yields, respectively.     

Total syntheses of (+/-)-anchinopeptolide D and (+/-)-cycloanchinopeptolide D

The first synthesis of (+/-)-anchinopeptolide D (4) has been accomplished in seven steps in 10% overall yield from octopamine hydrochloride (17), N-(Boc)glycine (16), and 5-amino-2-hydroxypentanoic acid (22). The key step is the aldol dimerization and hemiaminal formation of alpha-keto amide 26, which gives primarily protected anchinopeptolide D 27 under kinetically controlled conditions. Cycloanchinopeptolide D (31) has been prepared by the unprecedented head-to-head photodimerization of the two hydroxystyrylamides of 4 using the hydrophobic effect in water to force the two side chains into close proximity so that [2 + 2] cycloaddition is faster than trans to cis double bond isomerization. Coupling of amine 21 with pyroglutamic acid affords the naturally occurring tripeptide 35, which had been assigned glutamic acid structure 34.     

First comprehensive bakkane approach: stereoselective and efficient dichloroketene-based total syntheses of (+/-)- and (-)-9-acetoxyfukinanolide, (+/-)- and (+)-bakkenolide A, (-)-bakkenolides III,B, C,H, L,V, and X, (+/-)- and (-)-homogynolide A, (+/-)-homogynolide B,and (+/-)-palmosalide C

Cycloaddition of dichloroketene with dimethylcyclohexenes has been used as the key reaction in an efficient, general approach to the bakkanes. New methods and methodologies that have been developed in this work include spiro beta-methylene-gamma-butyrolactonizations, a vicinal dicarboxylation, an angelic ester preparation, a transesterification, an epoxy ketone double reduction, and a retro aldol-aldol approach to low-energy aldol isomers.     

A formal total synthesis of the sesterterpenoid (+/-)-dysidiolide and approaches to the syntheses of (+/-)-6-epi-, (+/-)-15-epi-, and (+/-)-6,15-bisepidysidiolide

A formal total synthesis of the sesterterpenoid (+/-)-dysidiolide (1), a structurally novel sponge metabolite that inhibits the cdc25A protein phosphatase, and approaches to the syntheses of (+/-)-15-epi- (34), (+/-)-6-epi- (36), and (+/-)-6, 15-bisepidysidiolide (39) are described.     

Total syntheses of (+/-)-cis-trikentrin A and (+/-)-cis-trikentrin B via electrocyclic ring closures of 2,3-divinylpyrrolines

[Structure: see text] A convergent and versatile strategy for the diastereoselective syntheses of (+/-)-cis-trikentrin A and B in 10 and 12 steps, respectively, from commercially available N-BOC-2-pyrrolidinone is described. The key step in each of the total syntheses is the construction of the central benzene ring via a facile 6pi-electrocyclic ring closure of an appropriately substituted 2,3-divinylpyrroline, in turn, readily available by a Stille coupling reaction.     

Stereocontrolled synthesis of polyfunctionalized cis-decalins from 2-methoxyphenols: total syntheses of (+/-)-eremopetasidione, (+/-)-3 beta-angeloyloxyfuranoeremophilane, and (+/-)-3 beta-methacryloyloxyfuranoeremophilane

A four-step stereocontrolled synthesis of polyfunctionalized cis-decalins is described, involving oxidation of 2-methoxyphenol, intermolecular Diels-Alder reaction, olefination, and Cope rearrangement. Application of this efficient strategy to the total syntheses of (+/-)-eremopetasidione, (+/-)-3 beta-angeloyloxyfuranoeremophilane, and (+/-)-3 beta-methacryloyloxyfuranoeremophilane was accomplished from creosol and ethyl vinyl ketone via a common intermediate 21.     

Combining two-directional synthesis and tandem reactions: an efficient strategy for the total syntheses of (+/-)-hippodamine and (+/-)-epi-hippodamine

Two-directional total stereoselective syntheses of (+/-)-hippodamine and (+/-)-epi-hippodamine, utilising a tandem deprotection/intramolecular double Michael addition sequence as the key step, are presented.     

Total synthesis of (+/-)-herbindole B and (+/-)-cis-trikentrin B

[reaction: see text] Herbindole B and cis-trikentrin B are naturally occurring indoles having the unusual and synthetically challenging pattern of carbon substitution at the 4-7 and 5-7 positions, respectively, with no substitution at the 1-3 positions. The total syntheses of these polyalkylated indoles have been achieved in 19 and 12 steps, respectively. The synthesis of herbindole B relies on two iterations of a quinine monoimine Diels-Alder reaction, while cis-trikentrin B uses a single cycloaddition of a suitable quinone monoimine. Indolization of the adducts provides suitably substituted benzopyrrole nuclei for elaboration to the natural products.     

Total syntheses of sesterpenic acids: refuted (+/-)-bilosespenes A and B

[reaction: see text] The total syntheses of racemic sesterpenic acids 1 and 2 have been accomplished from creosol (6) in 12 and 13 steps, respectively. Intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of masked o-benzoquinone 7 generated from 6 and allyl alcohol, stereoselective addition of alkenylcerium(III) chloride 8 to ketone 5, and anionic oxy-Cope rearrangement of dienol 4 are the key steps.     

Expeditious syntheses of (+/-)-5-oxosilphiperfol-6-ene and (+/-)-silphiperfol-6-ene

[reaction: see text]Stereocontrolled syntheses of 5-oxosilphiperfol-6-ene (1) and silphiperfol-6-ene (2) have been accomplished in four and five steps, with overall yields of 32% and 26%, respectively, from 1-acetyl-3-methylcylopentene. The strategy features two pivotal reactions: (a) a Diels-Alder reaction between 1,3-dimethylcyclopentadiene and 1-acetyl-3-methylcyclopentene, which proceeds with remarkable regio-, endo-, and diastereofacial selectivities, and (b) an intramolecular Paterno-Büchi reaction to snap together the triquinane framework.     

Application of a domino Friedel-Crafts acylation/alkylation reaction to the formal syntheses of (+/-)-taiwaniaquinol B and (+/-)-dichroanone

An efficient acid-promoted domino Friedel-Crafts (FC) acylation/alkylation reaction has been developed for the construction of the core 6,5,6-ABC tricyclic skeleton of taiwaniaquinoids. The formal total syntheses of diterpenoids (+/-)-taiwaniaquinol B and (+/-)-dichroanone based on this strategy have been achieved.