Epoxide-initiated cationic cyclization of azides: a novel method for the stereoselective construction of 5-hydroxymethyl azabicyclic compounds and application in the stereo- and enantioselective total synthesis of (+)- and (-)-indolizidine 167B and 209D

A novel and general method has been developed for the stereoselective construction of 5-hydroxymethyl azabicyclic ring skeletons based on epoxide-initiated cationic cyclization of azides. The key cyclization reaction was systematically studied with the model compound, 3-(1-oxa-spiro[2.4]hept-4-yl)propyl azide 3a, and EtAlCl(2) was found to be an ideal choice as the catalyst. The generality of this transformation was further tested with different ring sizes, where six- and seven-membered epoxyazides 3b,c underwent smooth cyclization to give 5-hydroxymethyl azepine 4b and 5-hydroxymethyl azocine 4c, respectively, as a single detectable diastereomer. This novel methodology was elegantly applied in the stereoselective total synthesis of indolizidine alkaloids 167B and 209D. Further, the enantioselective total synthesis of natural and unnatural indolizidine alkaloids 167B and 209D was accomplished by using Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation as a key step.     

A Facile Route to Indolo

Treatment of 1-(2'-bromobenzyl)-3,4-dihydroisoquinolines 2 in the presence of K(2)CO(3) in boiling DMF efficiently provided a variety of alkoxy-substituted indolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines 3. Application of this cyclization to 7-benzyloxyisoquinoline derivatives, followed by further elaboration of the resultant 2-benzyloxy-5,6-dihydroindolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines 16a,b, led to the formal synthesis of dibenzopyrrocoline alkaloids, (+/-)-cryptaustoline (1a) and (+/-)-cryptowoline (1b).     

Intramolecular 5-endo-trig aminomercuration of beta-hydroxy-gamma-alkenylamines: efficient route to a pyrrolidine ring and its application for the synthesis of (+)-castanospermine and analogues

The intramolecular aminomercuration reaction of sugar-derived beta-hydroxy-gamma-alkenylamines 8a-c undergoes 5-endo-trig cyclization in high yield. The sugar-substituted pyrrolidines thus obtained were elaborated to the synthesis of polyhydroxylated indolizidine alkaloids, namely, castanospermine 1a, 1-epi-castanospermine 1b, and 8a-epi-castanospermine 1c, having promising glycosidase inhibitory activities.     

A study of vinyl radical cyclization using N-alkenyl-7-bromo-substituted hexahydroindolinones

A new method for the synthesis of the octahydropyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinoline ring system that possesses the characteristic skeleton of the aspidosperma family of alkaloids has been developed. The method utilizes an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of an amido-substituted furan across a tethered indole pi-bond. To apply this strategy to the synthesis of the indole alkaloid spegazzinidine, it was necessary to address the problem of assembling the final D-ring of the pentacyclic skeleton. Radical cyclization of a model N-allyl-7-bromo-3a-methylhexahydroindolinone system was found to preferentially lead to the 6-endo-trig cyclization product, with the best yield being obtained under high dilution conditions. The six-membered cyclized product is generated through two reaction pathways: (a) 6-endo-trig ring closure and (b) rearrangement of an intermediate methylene-cyclopentyl radical obtained by 5-exo-trig cyclization. A number of related 7-bromo-substituted hexahydroindolinones containing tethered olefinic groups were prepared and found to undergo efficient cyclization under both radical and palladium-mediated reaction conditions. Vinyl radical cyclization with several N-butenyl-substituted systems afforded a mixture of 6-exo and 7-endo cyclization products. A protocol to introduce an ethyl substituent into the C20-position of the aspidospermidine skeleton was also developed.     

A general strategy for the synthesis of vincamajine-related indole alkaloids: stereocontrolled total synthesis of (+)-dehydrovoachalotine, (-)-vincamajinine, and (-)-11-methoxy-17-epivincamajine as well as the related quebrachidine diol, vincamajine diol, and vincarinol

[structures: see text] The highly convergent stereocontrolled total synthesis of (-)-vincamajinine (7), (-)-11-methoxy-17-epivincamajine (9), and the oxygen-bridged (+)-dehydrovoachalotine (22) are described. Key steps in the synthesis of 7 and 9 involved the stereospecific enolate-driven palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction, a Tollens reaction, an acid-assisted intramolecular cyclization to form the C(7)-C(17) quaternary center, and two stereospecific reductions. The efficiency of this strategy is illustrated by the completion of the synthesis of 7 and 9 in 16 [from d-(+)-tryptophan methyl ester 17] and 17 (from the Sch?llkopf chiral auxiliary 27) reaction vessels, respectively. This constitutes the first total synthesis of these indole alkaloids and provides the first regiospecific route to 11-methoxy-substituted ajmaline/vincamajine-related alkaloids. The synthesis of 22 required a novel DDQ-mediated cyclization to furnish the C(6)-O(17) bond, executed in stereospecific fashion. Completion of these syntheses illustrates a concise and versatile strategy for the synthesis of vincamajine-related alkaloids, which has also been employed to prepare the related compounds quebrachidine diol (53), vincamajine diol (56), and vincarinol (59).     

Asymmetric synthesis of (R)-reticuline. A new strategy for the asymmetric synthesis of isoquinolines via enantioselective epoxidation or dihydroxylation

A new strategy for the asymmetric synthesis of 1-benzyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines7 − 9 has been developed. The route involves introduction of asymmetry via enantioselective epoxidation or dihydroxylafion of corresponding stilbene precursors followed by aminolysis and Pomeranz-Fritsch cyclization. The strategy has been successfully applied to the asymmetric synthesis of (R)-reticuline (9), the key-intermediate in the synthesis of morphine alkaloids on the biomimetic route.     

Protecting‐Group‐Free Total Synthesis of Isoquinoline Alkaloids by Nickel‐Catalyzed Annulation of o‐Halobenzaldimine with an Alkyne as the Key Step

An efficient short total synthesis of benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids including oxyavicine, oxynitidine, and oxysanguinarine is described. Thus, N‐methyl‐o‐bromobenzaldimines 1 b – d undergo regioselective cyclization with 4‐(benzo[d][1,3]dioxol‐5‐yl)but‐3‐yn‐1‐ol ( 2 b ) in the presence of [Ni(cod)₂] (cod=1,5‐cyclooctadiene). In situ oxidation of the resultant isoquinolinium salts gives isoquinolinone derivatives 5 b – d with benzo[d][1,3]dioxol‐5‐yl substitution at the C₃ atom and a (CH₂)₂OH group at the C₄ atom. Later, oxidation of the alcohol group in 5 b – d to the aldehyde moiety followed by acid‐catalyzed cyclization and dehydration completes the total syntheses to give oxyavicine, oxynitidine, and oxysanguinarine in 67, 65, and 60 % yields, respectively. The synthesis requires four steps from o‐bromobenzaldehyde derivatives. Transformations of these alkaloids to the other alkaloids in this family are also discussed herein.     

Concise and Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (−)‐Mehranine, (−)‐Methylenebismehranine,and Related Aspidosperma Alkaloids

We report an efficient and highly stereoselective strategy for the synthesis of Aspidosperma alkaloids based on the transannular cyclization of a chiral lactam precursor. Three new stereocenters are formed in this key step with excellent diastereoselectivity due to the conformational bias of the cyclization precursor, leading to a versatile pentacyclic intermediate. A subsequent stereoselective epoxidation followed by a mild formamide reduction enabled the first total synthesis of the Aspidosperma alkaloids (?)‐mehranine and (+)‐(6S,7S)‐dihydroxy‐N‐methylaspidospermidine. A late‐stage dimerization of (?)‐mehranine mediated by scandium trifluoromethanesulfonate completed the first total synthesis of (?)‐methylenebismehranine.     

Super acid-induced Pummerer-type cyclization reaction: improvement in the synthesis of chiral 1,3-dimethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines

Improved synthesis of four stereoisomeric chiral 1,3-dimethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines (1a, b, ent-1a, b) was achieved via the super acid-induced cyclization of chiral N-[1-methyl-2-(phenylsulfinyl)ethyl]-N-(1-phenylethyl)formamides (4a, b, ent-4a, b) using the Pummerer-type cyclization reaction as a key step. The cyclization leading to the isoquinoline ring proceeded in a quantitative manner when trifluoromethane sulfonic acid (TFSA) was used as the super acid, although Friedel-Crafts-type alkylation of 4-phenylsulfanyl TIQ derivatives (5) with benzene used as the solvent accompanied cyclization to yield the 4-phenyl-TIQs (7). The byproduct (7) was exclusively formed when a large excess amount of TFSA was used.     

Cascade cyclization, dipolar cycloaddition to bridged tricyclic amines related to the Daphniphyllum alkaloids

A tandem one-pot reaction of an aldehyde with a primary amine involving condensation and then cyclization (N-alkylation), followed by intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition of the resulting nitrone or azomethine ylide, provides a synthesis of bridged tricyclic amines. The reaction was most successful using hydroxylamine, and when the dipolarophile was an unsaturated ester, subsequent reduction of the N-O bond and cyclization to the lactam provided the core ring system of the yuzurimine, daphnilactone B, and bukittinggine type Daphniphyllum alkaloids.     

Efficient synthesis of (+)-1,8,8a-tri-epi-swainsonine, (+)-1,2-di-epi-lentiginosine, (+)-9a-epi-homocastanospermine and (-)-9-deoxy-9a-epi-homocastanospermine from a D-glucose-derived aziridine carboxylate, and study of their glycosidase inhibitory activities

The utility of a D-glucose-derived aziridine carboxylate was demonstrated for the synthesis of polyhydroxylated quinolizidine and indolizidine alkaloids. The chemoselective reduction of 1 followed by two-carbon homologation by the Wittig reaction afforded gamma,delta-aziridino-alpha,beta-unsaturated ester 9, which on regioselective nucleophilic aziridine ring opening either by using water as a nucleophile or hydrogenation afforded delta-lactams 11/16--true synthons for the synthesis of four structurally different iminosugars, namely quinolizidine alkaloids 5b/5c, swainsonine 6b and lentiginosine 7b analogues. Glycosidase inhibitory activities of these iminosugars were investigated.     

A Facile Synthesis of Pyrrolidine Derivatives

The Amaryllidaceae alkaloids have attracted considerable attention for their interesting biological activities. [1] Many of these tyrosine derived alkaloids[2] incorporate a hexahydroindole moiety in the structural skeletons. New approaches towards the synthesis of hexahydroindole core have been a topical interest for the synthetic community.Herein we report an experimentally very simple method for the synthesis of hexahydroindole by aminocylization. Four kinds of N-substituted have been demonstrate to be effective to this cyclization. The results were summarized in Figure 1.     

Asymmetric formal total synthesis of the stemofoline alkaloids: the evolution,development, and application of a catalytic dipolar cycloaddition cascade

A formal synthesis of didehydrostemofoline and isodidehydrostemofoline has been accomplished by preparing an intermediate in the Overman synthesis of these alkaloids from commercially available 2-deoxy-d-ribose. The work presented in this account chronicles the evolution of our explorations to identify the optimal steric and electronic control elements necessary to generate the tricyclic core structure of these alkaloids in a single operation from an acyclic precursor. The key step in the synthesis is a novel dipolar cycloaddition cascade sequence that is initiated by cyclization of a rhodium-derived carbene onto the nitrogen atom of a proximal imine group to generate an azomethine ylide that then undergoes spontaneous cyclization via dipolar cycloaddition. The synthesis features several other interesting reactions, including a Boord elimination to prepare a chiral allylic alcohol, a highly diastereoselective Hirama–Itô cyclization, and a useful modification of the Barton decarboxylation protocol.     

Controlling the regiochemistry of radical cyclizations

This review describes the results of our recent studies on the control of the regiochemistry of radical cyclizations. N-vinylic alpha-chloroacetamides generally cyclized in a 5-endo-trig manner to give five-membered lactams, whereas 4-exo-trig cyclization occurred when the cyclized radical intermediates were highly stabilized by an adjacent phenyl or phenylthio group to afford beta-lactams. The 5-exo or 6-exo cyclization of aryl radicals onto the alkenic bond of enamides could be shifted to the corresponding 6-endo or 7-endo mode of cyclization by a positional change of the carbonyl group of enamides. The 6-endo- and 7-endo-selective aryl radical cyclizations were applied to radical cascades for the synthesis of alkaloids such as phenanthroindolizidine, cephalotaxine skeleton, and lennoxamine. The 5-exo-trig cyclization of an alkyl radical onto the alkenyl bond of enamides could also be shifted to the 6-endo mode by a positional change of the carbonyl group of enamides. The 6-endo- selective cyclization was applied to the radical cascade to afford a cylindricine skeleton. Other examples of controlling the regiochemistry of radical cyclizations and their applications to the synthesis of natural products are also discussed.     

Short,enantioselective total synthesis of okaramine N

The first enantioselective total synthesis of a member of the okaramine family of bis-indole alkaloids, okaramine N (1), has been accomplished via intermediates 2-7, as outlined. The N-prenylated derivative of (S)-tryptophan methyl ester (2) was coupled with Fmoc-protected N-tert-prenylated tryptophan (3) to form the amide 4 in 70% yield. Pd(II)-mediated cyclization/rearrangement, a key step in the synthesis, transformed 4 into the indoloazacine 5 (44%), which was deprotected and cyclized in a single step to give the hexacyclic diketopiperazine 6 (95%). In the following novel and key sequence, 6 was transformed into 1: (1) selective ene reaction with N-methyltriazolinedione, (2) photooxidation of the remaining tert-prenylated indole subunit to provide 7, and (3) thermal retroene reaction of 7 to afford okaramine N (70% from 6).     

A synthesis of 3-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline and 2-phenyl-1,2,4,5-tetrahydro-3H-3-benzazepine via Pummerer-type cyclization: enhancing effect of boron trifluoride diethyl etherate on the cyclization

A synthesis of 6,7-dimethoxy-3-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (14a) and 7,8-dimethoxy-2-phenyl-1,2,4,5-tetrahydro-3H-3-benzazepine (14b) was achieved via the cyclization of N-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)methyl-1-phenyl-2-(phenylsulfinyl)ethylformamide (6a) and N-2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl-1-phenyl-2-(phenylsulfinyl)-ethylformamide (6b) using the Pummerer reaction as a key step, respectively. The Pummerer reaction of 6a,b under usual conditions using trifluoroacetic anhydride yielded the vinyl sulfides (8a, b), non-cyclized products, as a major product. The cyclization proceeded when boron trifluoride diethyl etherate was used as an additive reagent, thus giving rise to the corresponding cyclized products (7a) and (7b) in moderate yields. We propose that the enhancing effect of the Lewis acid on the cyclization may be attributable to the involvement of a dicationic intermediate, sulfonium-carbenium dication (23).     

General approach for the synthesis of 12-methoxy-substituted sarpagine indole alkaloids including (-)-12-methoxy-N(b)-methylvoachalotine, (+)-12-methoxy-N(a)-methylvellosimine, (+)-12-methoxyaffinisine, and (-)-fuchsiaefoline

[structures: see text] The enantiospecific synthesis of 7-methoxy-D-tryptophan ethyl ester was completed by combination of the Larock heteroannulation process with a Sch?llkopf-based chiral auxiliary in good yield. This ester was then employed in the first regiospecific, stereospecific total synthesis of (+)-12-methoxy-N(a)-methylvellosimine, (+)-12-methoxyaffinisine, (-)-fuchsiaefoline, and 12-methoxy-N(b)-methylvoachalotine in excellent overall yield. The asymmetric Pictet-Spengler reaction and enolate-driven palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling processes served as key steps. The quaternary center at C16 of 12-methoxy-N(b)-methylvoachalotine was established via the Tollens reaction between (+)-12-methoxy-N(a)-methylvellosimine and formaldehyde to form diol 17. The two prochiral primary alcohols in diol 17 were differentiated by the oxidative cyclization(DDQ) of the hydroxyl group at the axial position of 17 with the benzylic postion at [C6] to form a cyclic ether [C6-O17]. After oxidative formation of the alpha-ester at C16, the ether bond was reductively cleaved with TFA/Et3SiH in high yield. The DDQ-mediated oxidative cyclization and TFA/Et3SiH reductive cleavage served as protection/deprotection steps in order to provide a versatile entry into the voachalotine alkaloids.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-lysergic acid, (+)-lysergol, and (+)-isolysergol by palladium-catalyzed domino cyclization of allenes bearing amino and bromoindolyl groups

Enantioselective total synthesis of the biologically important indole alkaloids (+)-lysergol, (+)-isolysergol, and (+)-lysergic acid is described. Key features of these total synthesis include (1) a facile synthesis of a chiral 1,3-amino alcohol via the Pd(0)- and In(I)-mediated reductive coupling reaction between L-serine-derived 2-ethynylaziridine and formaldehyde; (2) the Cr(II)/Ni(0)-mediated Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi (NHK) reaction of an indole-3-acetaldehyde with iodoalkyne; and (3) Pd(0)-catalyzed domino cyclization of an allene bearing amino and bromoindolyl groups. This domino cyclization enabled direct construction of the C/D ring system of the ergot alkaloids skeleton, as well as the creation of the C5 stereogenic center with transfer of the allenic axial chirality to the central chirality.     

Recent Advances and Perspectives in the Synthesis and Applications of Tetrahydrocarbazol‐4‐ones†

Tetrahydrocarbazol‐4‐one represents a prevalent framework of numerous natural products and pharmaceuticals. This review summaries the recent synthetic progresses of this core structure, including Fischer indolization, oxidative and reductive coupling, α‐arylative cyclization by means of transition‐ metal catalysis or under metal‐free conditions, and other methods. The recently emerged enantioselective catalytic methods of tetrahydrocarbazol‐4‐ ones are also described. The mechanistic insights and applications of these strategies as a key step in the total (formal) synthesis of complex alkaloids are highlighted as well.     

Concise total synthesis of (±)-cephalotaxine via a transannulation strategy: development of a facile reductive oxy-Nazarov cyclization

A concise total synthesis of (±)-cephalotaxine (1) has been achieved from dioxolanone derivative 15 via a transannulation strategy. The key transformation is a facile reductive oxy-Nazarov cyclization as illustrated above, involving presumably a tethered 1,2-oxidopentadienyl cation species 7a or 7b, which represents a new variant of the oxy-Nazarov cyclization and constitutes an effective, regio- and stereospecific 5-hydroxy cyclopentenone annulation protocol under mild hydride reduction conditions.