Biology‐Oriented Synthesis of a Withanolide‐Inspired Compound Collection Reveals Novel Modulators of Hedgehog Signaling

Biology‐oriented synthesis employs the structural information encoded in complex natural products to guide the synthesis of compound collections enriched in bioactivity. The trans‐hydrindane dehydro‐δ‐lactone motif defines the characteristic scaffold of the steroid‐like withanolides, a plant‐derived natural product class with a diverse pattern of bioactivity. A withanolide‐inspired compound collection was synthesized by making use of three key intermediates that contain this characteristic framework derivatized with different reactive functional groups. Biological evaluation of the compound collection in cell‐based assays that monitored biological signal‐transduction processes revealed a novel class of Hedgehog signaling inhibitors that target the protein Smoothened.     

Catalytic Asymmetric Cycloaddition of Ketenes and Nitroso Compounds: Enantioselective Synthesis of α‐Hydroxycarboxylic Acid Derivatives

The appropriate choice of chiral catalyst and starting materials leads to the synthesis of 1,2‐oxazetidin‐3‐ones by cycloadditions of ketenes with nitroso compounds with very good regioselectivity and enantioselectivity. In addition to serving as potentially bioactive target molecules, the products can be transformed into other important classes of compounds, such as α‐hydroxycarboxylic acid derivatives.

     

Catalytic Enantioselective Inverse Electron Demand Hetero‐Diels–Alder Reaction with Allylsilanes

The first diastereo‐ and enantioselective inverse electron demand hetero‐Diels–Alder reaction of β,γ‐unsaturated α‐ketoesters with allylsilanes is described. Chiral copper(II) catalysts successfully activate the β,γ‐unsaturated α‐ketoesters and promote the reaction with allylsilanes with excellent enantioselectivities. This process represents a new entry to chiral oxanes.     

Catalytic Enantioselective Intramolecular Aza‐Diels–Alder Reactions

A readily available chiral Brønsted acid was identified as an efficient catalyst for intramolecular Povarov reactions. Polycyclic amines containing three contiguous stereogenic centers were obtained with excellent stereocontrol in a single step from secondary anilines and aldehydes possessing a pendent dienophile. These transformations constitute the first examples of catalytic enantioselective intramolecular aza‐Diels–Alder reactions.     

Catalytic Aerobic Oxidation and Tandem Enantioselective Cycloaddition in Cascade Multicomponent Synthesis

An efficient multicomponent cascade transformation for the highly diastereo‐ and enantioselective synthesis of complex natural product inspired polycyclic products from simple starting materials is described. The cascade is initiated by copper‐catalyzed aerobic C?H oxidation of cyclopentadiene to cyclopentadienone followed by double catalytic asymmetric 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides. The cascade synthesis efficiently yields structurally complex 5,5,5‐tricyclic products with eight stereocenters with good yields and excellent diastereo‐ and enantiocontrol using one catalyst.     

Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of [2,3]‐Fused Indoline Heterocycles through Inverse‐Electron‐Demand Aza‐Diels–Alder Reaction of Indoles with Azoalkenes

An unprecedented catalytic asymmetric inverse‐electron‐demand aza‐Diels–Alder reaction of indoles with in situ formed azoalkenes is reported. A diverse set of [2,3]‐fused indoline heterocycles were achieved in generally good yields (up to 97 %) with high regioselectivity and diastereoselectivity (>20:1 d.r.), and with excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99 % ee).     

Rhodium(II)‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Synthesis of Troponoids

We report a rhodium(II)‐catalyzed highly enantioselective 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition reaction between the carbonyl moiety of tropone and carbonyl ylides to afford troponoids in good to high yields with excellent enantioselectivity. We demonstrate that α‐diazoketone‐derived carbonyl ylides, in contrast to carbonyl ylides derived from diazodiketoesters, undergo [6+3] cycloaddition reactions with tropone to yield the corresponding bridged heterocycles with excellent stereoselectivity.     

A Deprotonation Approach to the Unprecedented Amino‐Trimethylenemethane Chemistry: Regio‐, Diastereo‐, and Enantioselective Synthesis of Complex Amino Cycles

The first realization of the amino‐trimethylenemethane chemistry is reported using a deprotonation strategy to simplify the synthesis of the amino‐trimethylenemethane donor in two steps from commercial and inexpensive materials. A broad scope of cycloaddition acceptors (seven different classes) participated in the chemistry, chemo‐, regio‐, diastereo‐, and enantioselectively generating various types of highly valuable complex amino cycles. Multiple derivatization reactions that further elaborated the initial amino cycles were performed without isolation of the crude product. Ultimately, we applied the amino‐trimethylenemethane chemistry to synthesize a potential pharmaceutical in 8 linear steps and 7.5 % overall yield, which previously was achieved in 18 linear steps and 0.6 % overall yield.     

Rhodium‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Synthesis of Silicon‐Stereogenic Dibenzosiloles by Enantioselective [2+2+2] Cycloaddition

A rhodium‐catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of silicon‐stereogenic dibenzosiloles has been developed through a [2+2+2] cycloaddition of silicon‐containing prochiral triynes with internal alkynes. High yields and enantioselectivities have been achieved by employing an axially chiral monophosphine ligand, and the present catalysis is also applicable to the asymmetric synthesis of a germanium‐stereogenic dibenzogermole. Preliminary studies on the optical properties of these compounds are also described.     

Cy‐SaBOX/Copper(II)‐Catalyzed Highly Diastereo‐ and Enantioselective Synthesis of Bicyclic N,O Acetals

Facile and effective access for the asymmetric construction of the useful and important skeleton of the bicyclic N,O‐acetals is described. Cu^II/SaBOX could catalyze the reaction of β,γ‐unsaturated α‐ketoesters with cyclic enamines efficiently, thus affording the desired products in excellent yields with excellent stereoselectivities (21 examples; up to 99 % yields; up to >95:5 d.r.; and 95–99 % ee). This reaction can be well performed on gram scale, even with only 1 mol % catalyst loading. The single‐crystal structures of the copper complexes lead to a good understanding of the stereo‐synergistic effects of the sidearm.     

Transition‐Metal‐Catalyzed Enantioselective [2+2+2] Cycloadditions for the Synthesis of Axially Chiral Biaryls

Tying up loose ends : Recent advances towards a development of novel transition‐metal‐catalyzed enantioselective [2+2+2] cycloadditions for the synthesis of biaryls are summarized in this Focus Review. Additionally, the enantioselective synthesis of axially chiral biaryls possessing non‐biaryl axial chirality is also presented. These novel asymmetric aromatization reactions allow the production of various axially chiral biaryl compounds with high enantioselectivity.

     

Catalytic Enantioselective and Regioselective [3+3] Cycloadditions Using 2‐Indolylmethanols as 3 C Building Blocks

The first catalytic asymmetric cycloaddition using 2‐indolylmethanols as 3C building blocks has been established by a chiral phosphoric acid‐catalyzed enantioselective and regioselective [3+3] cycloaddition of 2‐indolylmethanols with azomethine ylides, which constructed biologically important tetrahydro‐γ‐carboline frameworks in high yields and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 83 % yield, 99:1 e.r.). This reaction not only represents the first application of 2‐indolylmethanols as 3C building blocks in catalytic asymmetric cycloadditions, but also has established an abnormal regioselectivity in indolylmethanol‐involved transformations.