The enolate anions of chlorophylls a and b as ambident nucleophiles in oxidations with (−)- or (+)-(10-camphorsulfonyl)oxaziridine. Synthesis of 13(S/R)-hydroxychlorophylls a and b

The enolate anions of chlorophylls (Chl) are ambident nucleophiles that are of considerable organic chemical interest in relation to the theory of electron delocalization (aromaticity) and charge-transfer in large conjugated π-systems, as well as for their chemical reactivity. Under deaerated conditions, the (−)- and (+)-enantiomers of (10-camphorsulfonyl)oxaziridine (CSOAI) are effective oxidants for the enolate anions of Chl a and Chl b, when 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) serves as a base. In this study, the use of these sterically hindered reagents to hydroxylate Chl a and Chl b is described for the first time. The total yield of 13²(S/R)-HO-Chl a was 71 and 90% for the oxidations of Chl a with (−)-CSOAI and (+)-CSOAI, respectively. Chl b, however, behaved clearly differently from Chl a. The total yield of 13²(S/R)-HO-Chl b was 40% in the oxidation with (−)-CSOAI and 60% in the reaction with (+)-CSOAI. A competing side-reaction, which resulted in the 15²-methyl, 17³-phytyl ester of Mg-15¹(S/R)-unstable rhodin, was found to lower the yields of the desired main products. The formation of the side-products was largely avoided and the yield of 13²(S/R)-HO-Chl b was improved by increasing the volume of hexane and using phosphate buffer in the first step of the work-up. With (−)-CSOAI, a 94% diastereomeric excess (de) was achieved for 13²(R)-HO-Chl a, whereas the de for 13²(R)-HO-Chl b was 66%. With (+)-CSOAI, the de was 10% for 13²(R)-HO-Chl a and 8% for 13²(R)-HO-Chl b. The results were interpreted in terms of a nucleophilic reaction mechanism, kinetically controlled by steric hindrance, originating on the one hand in the 17-propionate phytyl ester side-chain, protruding over the isocyclic ring E of the Chl enolate ion, and on the other hand in the bulky camphorsulfonyl unit of CSOAI. Possible reasons for the different results from the Chl b oxidations as compared with those of the Chl a oxidations are discussed. Comparison of the differences in the NMR δ_C-values between 13²(S)- and 13²(R)-HO-Chl a as well as those between 13²(S)- and 13²(R)-HO-Chl b, indicated that the change of stereochemical configuration at C-13² induces only slight differences in the δ_C-values. Of special interest are the δ_C-values of C-13², which are at ca. 91 ppm for the a- and b-series diastereomers. This carbon is deshielded by ca. 25 ppm relative to the C-13² of 13²(R)-Chl a (δ_C=65.5). Owing to this, ¹³C NMR spectroscopy is a good method to distinguish the 13²-hydroxylated chlorophylls from the intact, naturally occurring chlorophylls.     

C13-Methylation of methyl pheophorbide a and stereoselective preparation of methyl (13R)-methylpyropheophorbide a

The (13²R)-methoxycarbonyl group of methyl pheophorbide a, one of the chlorophyll-a derivatives, was converted to a methyl group through methylation at the C13² position followed by removal of the methoxycarbonyl group. The methylation of the C13² carboanion gave a 4:1 mixture of methyl 13²-methyl-pheophorbide a and its 13²-epimer. The successive pyrolysis of the major methylated product afforded methyl (13²R)-methyl-pyropheophorbide a with a small amount of its (13²S)-epimer. The substitution effects at the C13² position including stereochemistry were discussed on the basis of 1D/2D NMR, UV–vis absorption, and circular dichroism spectroscopic analyses as well as molecular modeling simulation.     

Synthesis of (4R,15R,16R,21S)- and (4R,15S,16S,21S)-rollicosin

A convergent synthesis of (4R,15R,16R,21S)-rollicosin (1) and (4R,15S,16S,21S)-rollicosin (2) was accomplished. Hydroxy lactone 6a and/or 6b were synthesized from 4-pentyn-1-ol, and α,β-unsaturated lactone 7 was synthesized from γ-lactone 8 and 5-hexen-1-ol. Inhibitory activity of these compounds was examined with bovine heart mitochondrial complex I.     

Total synthesis of (9S,12R,13S)-pinellic acid

The total synthesis of (9S,12R,13S)-pinellic acid, a novel and potentially useful oral adjuvant, isolated from Pinelliae tuber has been accomplished.     

Concise and practical synthesis of (2S,3R,4R,5R) and (2S,3R,4R,5S)-1,6-dideoxy-1,6-iminosugars

The syntheses of (2S,3R,4R,5R) and (2S,3R,4R,5S)-1,6-dideoxy-1,6 iminosugars 1a and 1b, respectively, from d-glucose are described. The key transformations in this reaction sequence include regio-selective epoxide ring opening with N-benzylamine followed by intramolecular reductive amination of amino-aldehyde.     

Simplified syntheses of the water-soluble chiral shift reagents Sm-(R)-pdta and Sm-(S)-pdta

The chiral shift reagents Sm-(R)-pdta and Sm-(S)-pdta, which are based on (R)- or (S)-1,2-diaminopropane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid were synthesized from easily accessible compounds in three simple steps, which makes the method suitable for laboratory-scale production. In addition, a new and efficient method for the preparation of pure anhydrous (R)- or (S)-1,2-diaminopropane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid was developed.     

An efficient stereoselective synthesis of (2S,4S,5R)-(−)- and (2R,4R,5S)-(+)-bulgecinine

A short synthetic route to (−)-and (+)-bulgecinine, the amino acid moiety of the bulgecins was achieved from the readily available nonchiral pool starting material cis-2-butene-1,4-diol in which a Claisen orthoester rearrangement and a Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation were used as the key steps.     

Chemomicrobial synthesis of (R)- and (S)-lavandulol

(R)- and (S)-Lavandulol are important compounds in the cosmetics industry and in pheromone research. We have developed syntheses of (R)- and (S)-lavandulol from (S)- and (R)-limonene, respectively, by microbial Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of the intermediate unsaturated hydroxy ketone. It has been found that the same strain of Acremonium roseum can be successfully used in the key step of the synthesis of both enantiomers of lavandulol.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (2R,3R) and (2R,3S)-3-hydroxyleucines

A stereoselective synthesis of (2R,3R) and (2R,3S)-3-hydroxyleucine is disclosed. The key step of the reaction sequence involves, stereo- and regioselective bromohydration of 7, using a brominating agent derived in situ from N-bromosuccinimide and 2,6-lutidine, via intramolecular sulfinyl group participation.     

Total synthesis of (3S,4S,2′S)- and (3R,4R,2′S)-viridiofungin A triester

The total synthesis of an alkylcitrate secondary metabolite from the fungi Trichoderma viride is described. An ester dienolate [2,3]-Wittig rearrangement and a S. Julia-Kocienski olefination served as key C/C-connecting transformations. The highly convergent synthesis consists of a longest linear sequence of 17 steps.     

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

Facile chemoenzymatic enantioselective synthesis of (3S,4S)-3-methoxy-4-methylaminopyrrolidine, a key intermediate for a new quinolone antitumor compound AG-7352 has been described. This methodology illustrates the preparation of 3-azido-1-benzyloxycarbonyl-4-hydroxypyrrolidine starting from diallylamine via 1-benzyloxycarbonyl-3-pyrroline obtained by ring-closing metathesis (RCM) employing Grubbs’ catalyst. Enzymatic transesterification employing PS-C lipase gave (3S,4S)-3-azido-1-benzyloxycarbonyl-4-hydroxypyrrolidine in >99% ee, which upon methylation of the hydroxyl group followed by sequential reactions gave the desired intermediates, (3S,4S)-1-tert-butoxycarbonyl-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-methoxypyrrolidine.     

Enantioselective synthesis of (8S,13S,14R)-7-oxa-estra-4,9-diene-3,17-dione

The first enantioselective synthesis of (8S,13S,14R)-7-oxa-estra-4,9-diene-3,17-dione with the trans-C/D ring junction is described. Key features of the synthesis include Ag₂O-mediated C-O bond formation, thermodynamically controlled axial-equatorial inversion, one-pot of halogen exchange and Co/Cr-mediated C-C bond formation, and intramolecular aldol condensations.     

Stereoselective addition of dialkyl phosphites to di-salicylaldimines bearing the (R,R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane moiety

The addition of dialkyl phosphites to the azomethine bond of N,N′-disalicylidene-1,2-diaminocyclohexane imines, catalyzed by sodium hydride led to bis-aminophosphonates in a high diastereoselectivity. One of the bis-aminophosphonates was analyzed by X-ray diffraction. Another bis-aminophosphonate was converted to a bis-aminophosphonic acid and the structure was studied by X-ray diffraction. Addition of phosphites to a diimine resulted in an aminophosphonate, which was also studied by X-ray diffraction. An explanation of the diastereoselectivity is suggested.     

The stereoselective total synthesis of (+)-18-(6S,9R,10R)-bovidic acid

An expedient stereoselective total synthesis of 18-carbon (+)-(6S,9R,10R)-bovidic acid, isolated from the pelage and skin of a gaur B. frontalis is described using l-proline catalysed sequential α-aminoxylation and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination of aldehyde, cross metathesis and tandem Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation-S_N2 cyclization reaction as the key steps.     

A chemoenzymatic asymmetric synthesis of (9S,12S,13S)- and (9S,12RS,13S)-pinellic acids

A brief and facile synthesis of the title compounds has been developed by using an efficient lipase-catalyzed acylation and a chiral template-directed diastereoselective alkylation for incorporating the stereogenic centres. A cross-metathesis was employed to get the required E-olefin geometry.     

Synthesis and absolute configuration of two diastereoisomeric (1R,2S,3R)-and (1S,2S,3R)-2-amino-1-(2-furyl)-1,3-butandiols

The synthesis of (1R, 2S, 3R) and (1S, 2S, 3R)-2-(N-benzoylamino)-1-(2-furyl)-1, 3-butandiols (15) and (16) from D-threonine is described. The assignment of absolute configuration of the newly formed asymmetric center at C-1 was based on the ¹H-NMR spectra of O-isopropylidene derivatives 17 and 18.     

Kinetics and mechanism of the ring opening polymerization of (R,S)-β-butyrolactone initiated with dibutylmagnesium

Ring opening polymerization (ROP) of (R,S)-β-butyrolactone (BL) using dibutylmagnesium (Bu₂Mg) as initiator was investigated both in bulk and in solution. The synthetic poly-3-hydroxybutyrates (P3HB) were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, FT-IR and GPC. Effects of molar ratio of initiator to monomer, reaction temperature and time on the monomer conversion and the polymer molecular weight and its distribution were discussed. The kinetics of the solution polymerization of BL was examined and showed a first order both in monomer concentration and initiator concentration. The end groups analysis suggested that the monomer inserted into the growing chain proceeding through the coordination-insertion mechanism based on the acyl-oxygen bond scission rather than the alkyl-oxygen bond cleavage of the BL ring. Furthermore, a possible mechanism for the initiation and propagation procedures of P3HB synthesized from BL with Bu₂Mg was proposed.     

Asymmetric synthesis of (R)- and (S)-2-trifluoromethylepinephrine

An asymmetric synthesis of (R)- and (S)-2-trifluoromethylepinephrine (1R and 1S) is presented. Trifluoromethylation involves nucleophilic aromatic substitution of halobenzene 4 most likely via a copper mediated CF₃ anion equivalent generated in situ. The asymmetric step involves conversion of 3,4-dimethoxy-2-trifluoromethylbenzaldehyde (5) to silyl cyanohydrin (6R and 6S) using a chiral salen catalyst in the presence of titanium. 1R and 1S are potential alternatives to currently used vasoconstrictors in local anesthetic formulations.     

A concise synthesis of (2S,4R)- and (2S,4S)-4-methylglutamic acid

A concise, multi-gram scale method for producing the bioactive and enantiomerically pure epimers, (2S,4R)- and (2S,4S)-glutamic acids, in a single synthetic scheme is described.     

Synthesis of (15S,16S,21R)-4-deoxyrollicosin analog

Synthesis of 4-deoxy rollicosin analog 2 was completed in nine steps, which was based on palladium-catalyzed coupling of two building blocks 3 and 4. Lactone 3 was synthesized from 5-hexyn-1-ol, and vinyl iodide 4 was accessed from l-glutamate and 1-hexyne.