Efficient strategy for convergent synthesis of trans-fused polycyclic ethers based on an intramolecular SmI2-promoted cyclization of iodo ester

An efficient convergent strategy for the construction of a trans-fused 6-6-6-6-membered tetracyclic ether ring system was developed. The key steps involve coupling of two cyclic ethers by esterification, SmI₂-promoted intramolecular reductive cyclization of iodo ester to hemiacetal, dehydration to dihydropyran, hydroboration, oxidation, intramolecular acetalization, and Lewis-acid catalyzed silane reduction.     

Synthesis of the C17-C25 subunit of lasonolide A utilizing a Tsuchihashi-Yamamoto type rearrangement

An efficient synthesis of the C₁₇-C₂₅ subunit resident in (−)-lasonolide A is reported herein. The key reaction features that were utilized include a Tsuchihashi-Yamamoto type rearrangement and Molander-Reformatsky SmI₂ mediated intramolecular aldol reaction sequence. Lastly, a diastereoselective target oriented β-C-glycoside formation sequence via an oxocarbenium reduction completed the stereochemistry required for the completion of the C₁₇-C₂₅ segment of (−)-lasonolide A.     

An efficient synthesis of the C1-C14 subunit of (−)-lasonolide A via a target oriented β-C-glycoside formation sequence

An efficient synthesis of the C₁-C₁₄ subunit resident in (−)-lasonolide A is reported herein. The key reaction features that were utilized include a Molander-Reformatsky SmI₂ mediated intramolecular aldol reaction followed by a diastereoselective target oriented β-C-glycoside formation sequence. Lastly, a chemo- and diastereoselective cross-metathesis of a terminal olefin in the presence of a trisubstituted alkene with acrolein and subsequent olefination of the aldehyde moiety allowed for the completion of the (E,E)-diene side chain.     

SmI2 mediated synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted indole derivatives

A novel preparation of 2,3-disubstituted indole derivatives was achieved through SmI₂ induced intramolecular reductive coupling reactions of acylamido carbonyl compounds.     

Synthesis of 1,2,9,10-tetrakis(N-phenylamino)[2.2]metacyclophane by SmI2-mediated reductive coupling of diimine

SmI₂/HMPA-mediated double reductive coupling of N,N′-(m-xylylidene)dianiline affords 1,2,9,10-tetrakis(N-phenylamino)[2.2]metacyclophane in good yield.     

Total synthesis of (−)-incarvilline

An enantioselective synthesis of (−)-incarvilline is presented, employing a three-component coupling reaction and an intramolecular enone-olefin [2+2] photocycloaddition followed by a SmI₂-induced cyclobutane ring-opening reaction.     

Synthesis of 5-endo-, 5-exo-, 6-endo- and 6-exo-hydroxylated analogues of epibatidine

A convenient, high-yield synthesis of N-Boc-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-en-2-one (7) was developed by SmI₂-mediated desulfonylation of 6. Thus, 5-endo-, 5-exo-, 6-endo-, and 6-exo-hydroxylated epibatidine analogues 2a,b and 3a,b were synthesized from 7 by using a Pd(PPh₃)₄-catalyzed reductive Heck coupling reaction and SmI₂-mediated reduction of the carbonyl group as the key steps. Other reaction conditions for the reductive Heck procedure and the reduction step were also investigated.     

Thiourea‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Michael Addition of Carbazolones to 2‐Chloroacrylonitrile: Total Synthesis of 5,22‐Dioxokopsane,Kopsinidine C,and Demethoxycarbonylkopsin

A modified Takemoto catalyst enabled the asymmetric Michael addition of carbazolones to 2‐chloroacrylonitrile to afford 3,3‐disubstituted carbazolones with excellent enantioselectivity. This method was successfully applied to total syntheses of three Kopsia alkaloids which featured an unprecedented Mn^III‐mediated oxidative cyclization to create the caged ring system and a SmI₂‐mediated reductive coupling as key steps.     

Thiourea‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Michael Addition of Carbazolones to 2‐Chloroacrylonitrile: Total Synthesis of 5,22‐Dioxokopsane,Kopsinidine C,and Demethoxycarbonylkopsin

A modified Takemoto catalyst enabled the asymmetric Michael addition of carbazolones to 2‐chloroacrylonitrile to afford 3,3‐disubstituted carbazolones with excellent enantioselectivity. This method was successfully applied to total syntheses of three Kopsia alkaloids which featured an unprecedented Mn^III‐mediated oxidative cyclization to create the caged ring system and a SmI₂‐mediated reductive coupling as key steps.     

A synthetic strategy using Witkop's pyrroloindole for (−)-debromoflustramine B, (+)-ent-debromoflustramine B and (+)-ent-debromoflustramide B

While prenylation of (−)-Witkop's pyrroloindole (2), secured from l-tryptophan under standard N-alkylation conditions, led to a ca. 1:1 diastereoisomeric mixture of two C^3a-alkylated indolenines 3 and 4, use of phase-transfer conditions altered this to ca. 1:2. Reduction followed by N-prenylation of the resulting secondary amines gave C,N-dialkylated products. The derived separable diastereoisomeric (−)- and (+)-Barton esters 19a and 19b were then converted into (−)-debromoflustramine B and (+)-ent-debromoflustramine B, respectively. A novel reaction involving oxygen and the carbanion derived from Barton ester 19b led to (+)-ent-debromoflustramide B. Treatment of N⁸-prenylated Witkop's pyrroloindole 5 with Lewis acid (BF₃·Et₂O) uncovered a new clean intramolecular cyclisation involving the prenyl unit.     

SmI2/H2O/amine promoted reductive cleavage of benzyl-heteroatom bonds: optimization and mechanism

The SmI₂/H₂O/pyrrolidine mediated cleavage of benzylic alcohols and benzyl groups was studied and found to be a viable alternative to the Birch reduction yielding the corresponding deoxygenated product in excellent yield. The reaction has been investigated by kinetic methods, and a mechanism involving a pre-complexation of the alcohol to SmI₂ followed by an amine mediated electron transfer and subsequent bond cleavage and transfer of a second electron and proton to yield the toluene product has been proposed. The reaction is strongly inhibited at higher concentrations of water, indicating that it proceeds via an inner-sphere electron transfer from samarium(II) to the benzyl group, and excess of water prevents coordination of benzyl alcohol to samarium.     

Highly efficient copper/palladium-catalyzed tandem Ullman reaction/arylation of azoles via C-H activation: synthesis of benzofuranyl and indolyl azoles from 2-(gem-dibromovinyl)phenols(anilines) with azoles

In this paper, a novel and highly efficient copper/palladium-catalyzed tandem intramolecular Ullman-type C-O(N) coupling reaction of 2-(gem-dibromovinyl)phenols(anilines) followed by an intermolecular arylation of azoles through C-H activation has been developed. In the presence of CuBr with Pd(PPh₃)₂Cl₂ used as co-catalyst, and LiO^tBu as a base, the one-pot reactions of 2-(gem-dibromovinyl)phenols and 2-(gem-dibromovinyl)anilines with a variety of azoles, including oxazoles, imidazoles, thiazoles, and oxadiazoles underwent smoothly in toluene at 100 °C to generate the corresponding biheteroaryl products in high yields. A tentative mechanism of copper/palladium-catalyzed tandem reaction was described.     

Total Synthesis of Maoecrystal P: Application of a Strained Bicyclic Synthon

A new strategy was devised for the total synthesis of highly oxidized ent‐kauranoids. A highly regio‐ and diastereoselective intermolecular Diels–Alder cycloaddition involving a diene embedded in a substituted bicyclo[4.1.0] skeleton was used to assemble all carbon centers but C17 of the target molecule at an early stage of the synthesis. Subsequent synthetic steps, including redox manipulations, SmI₂‐mediated cyclization, and isomerization reactions, afforded the antitumor natural product maoecrystal P.     

Synthetic Studies on Ciguatoxin: A Convergent Strategy for Construction of the F–M Ring Framework

Exceptional neurotoxicity is associated with ciguatoxin. The ciguatoxin mimic 1 , which contains the F–M framework of the natural product, has been prepared through a convergent synthesis. The two key steps were a Lewis acid mediated intramolecular reaction of a γ-alkoxyallylsilane with an acetal group and an SmI₂-mediated intramolecular Reformatsky reaction that permitted construction of the annelated hexahydrooxonin ring system.     

Improved synthesis of a [4.4]-spirolactam β-turn mimetic as surrogate of the didemnin side chain dipeptide Pro-N-Me-d-Leu

An efficient synthesis of [4.4]-spirolactam restricted derivatives of the didemnin side chain dipeptide l-Pro-N-Me-d-Leu is described. This methodology involves: (a) peptide coupling of N-Boc-2-allylproline with d-Leu-OBn; (b) OsO₄/NaIO₄ mediated allyl oxidation and intramolecular cyclization to the corresponding cyclic hemiaminals; and (c) NaBH₄ mediated reduction of an intermediate N-acyliminium ion. This synthetic strategy gave significant better results than the previously reported strategies for the synthesis of [4.4]-spirolactam β-turn mimetics.     

Formal total synthesis of (−)-hamigeran B from a chemo-enzymatically prepared building block with quaternary chiral center

A formal total synthesis of (?)-hamigeran B was achieved in 17 steps from commercially available ethyl 2-oxocyclopentanecarboxylate. Carbonyl reductase-catalyzed asymmetric reduction and the subsequent chemical transformations furnished an enantiomerically pure synthetic intermediate, (R)-5-formyl-2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclopent-1-en-1-yl trifluoromethylsulfonate. Suzuki-Miyaura coupling with Gao's arylboronate [2-(2-formyl-3-methoxy-5-methylphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolane], under PdCl₂(dppf)?CH₂Cl₂ catalysis, and the subsequent cyclization by way of intramolecular reductive SmI₂-mediated 1,2-diol formation provided a tricyclic skeleton with a tetrasubstituted double bond between C-1 and C-9b. Upon hydrogenation of this double bond, the proper stereochemistry of the remaining chiral centers was established. Exclusive addition of the hydrogen atom from the β-face occurred, owing to the shielding of the α-face with a bulky TBS protective group on the C-4 alcohol. The hydrogenation products were transformed into Clive's synthetic precursor for (?)-hamigeran B.     

Formal synthesis of (−)-oleocanthal by means of a SmI2-promoted intramolecular coupling of bromoalkyne with α,β-unsaturated ester

A novel approach to the synthesis of (?)-oleocanthal starting from d-ribose, in which a SmI₂-promoted intramolecular coupling of bromoalkyne with α,β-unsaturated ester is a key step, has been developed.     

On the Role of Pre‐ and Post‐Electron‐Transfer Steps in the SmI2/Amine/H2O‐Mediated Reduction of Esters: New Mechanistic Insights and Kinetic Studies

The mechanism of the SmI₂‐mediated reduction of unactivated esters has been studied using a combination of kinetic, radical clocks and reactivity experiments. The kinetic data indicate that all reaction components (SmI₂, amine, H₂O) are involved in the rate equation and that electron transfer is facilitated by Brønsted base assisted deprotonation of water in the transition state. The use of validated cyclopropyl‐containing radical clocks demonstrates that the reaction occurs via fast, reversible first electron transfer, and that the electron transfer from simple Sm(II) complexes to aliphatic esters is rapid. Notably, the mechanistic details presented herein indicate that complexation between SmI₂, H₂O and amines affords a new class of structurally diverse, thermodynamically powerful reductants for efficient electron transfer to carboxylic acid derivatives as an attractive alternative to the classical hydride‐mediated reductions and as a source of acyl‐radical equivalents for C?C bond forming processes.     

Comparative study of TmI2, SmI2, and SmI2/HMPA in the cross-coupling reactions of 2-acetylthiophene and thiophene-2-carboxylate with carbonyl compounds

The cross-coupling reactions of acetylthiophene or ethyl thiophene-2-carboxylate with aldehydes or ketones were achieved in a regioselective manner by using thulium diiodide in THF solution. Similar coupling reactions were also realized by using samarium diiodide together with excess amounts of hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPA). However, ethyl thiophene-2-carboxylate was inert in SmI₂/THF solution, and acetylthiophene was simply reduced to thienylethanol by SmI₂ in the absence of HMPA.     

Catalytic Reduction of CN−, CO,and CO2 by Nitrogenase Cofactors in Lanthanide‐Driven Reactions

Nitrogenase cofactors can be extracted into an organic solvent to catalyze the reduction of cyanide (CN^?), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO₂) without using adenosine triphosphate (ATP), when samarium(II) iodide (SmI₂) and 2,6‐lutidinium triflate (Lut‐H) are employed as a reductant and a proton source, respectively. Driven by SmI₂, the cofactors catalytically reduce CN^? or CO to C₁–C₄ hydrocarbons, and CO₂ to CO and C₁–C₃ hydrocarbons. The C? C coupling from CO₂ indicates a unique Fischer–Tropsch‐like reaction with an atypical carbonaceous substrate, whereas the catalytic turnover of CN^?, CO, and CO₂ by isolated cofactors suggests the possibility to develop nitrogenase‐based electrocatalysts for the production of hydrocarbons from these carbon‐containing compounds.