Establishing the absolute configuration of the asbestinins: enantioselective total synthesis of 11-acetoxy-4-deoxyasbestinin D

A highly stereoselective synthesis of 11-acetoxy-4-deoxyasbestinin D (1) has been completed in 26 linear steps. The synthesis hinges on a selective glycolate aldol addition to establish the C-2 stereocenter, a ring-closing metathesis reaction to complete the oxonene, and an intramolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition to establish the relative configuration at C-1, C-10, and C-14. This initial total synthesis of an asbestinin also serves to confirm the absolute configuration of this subclass of the C-2-C-11-cyclized cembranoid natural products.     

An intramolecular Diels-Alder approach to the eunicellins: enantioselective total syntheses of ophirin B and astrogorgin

The enantioselective syntheses of the eunicellins ophirin B and astrogorgin have been completed. Ring-closing metatheses provide efficient access to the oxonene rings, and highly diastereoselective intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions resulted in the formation of the hydrobenzofuran portion of the molecules.     

An intramolecular Diels-Alder approach to the eunicelins: enantioselective total synthesis of ophirin B

The enantioselective synthesis of the eunicellin ophirin B has been completed. A ring-closing metathesis provides efficient access to the oxonene ring, and a highly diastereoselective intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction results in the formation of the hydrobenzofuran portion of the molecule.     

Concise total syntheses of palominol, dolabellatrienone, beta-araneosene, and isoedunol via an enantioselective Diels-Alder macrobicyclization

Concise total syntheses of four members of the dolabellane family of diterpenoid natural products are reported. Key features of the developed route include the first demonstration of an enantioselective, intramolecular Type I Diels-Alder macrobicyclization, the first example of a stereoselective pi-allyl Stille coupling reaction involving a farnesyl-derived intermediate, a powerful new reagent for the formation of dithianes with acid-sensitive molecules, and a unique and highly efficient ring-contraction sequence based on a modified Wolff photochemical rearrangement.     

Towards the total synthesis of tangutorine by intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction

The syntheses of 3,5-disubstituted-2-sulfolenes, and their participation in Pictet-Spengler reactions to give precursors of tangutorine, are described.     

Highly enantioselective syntheses of heterocycles via intramolecular Ir-catalyzed allylic amination and etherification

[reaction: see text] Enantioselective Ir-catalyzed intramolecular allylic aminations and etherifications are described. Up to 97% ee was achieved using catalysts prepared by in situ activation of mixtures of phosphorus amidites and [Ir(COD)Cl]2. Sequential aminations of bis-allylic carbonates, involving an inter- followed by an intramolecular reaction, gave trans-N-benzyl-2,5-divinylpyrrolidine and trans-N-benzyl-2,6-divinylpiperidine with > or = 99% ee. New phosphorus amidites as well as improved conditions for intermolecular aminations are reported.     

Efficient and enantioselective total syntheses of heliannuols A and K

The second-generation enantioselective synthesis of heliannuol A and the first enantioselective total synthesis of heliannuol K (via two routes) have both been accomplished efficiently; (heliannuol A, nine steps and 25% yield; heliannuol K, seven steps and 47% yield). Highlights of our synthetic strategy include a substrate-controlled chirality transfer in the Lewis acid mediated Claisen rearrangement of the allyl aryl ether for the key construction of a tertiary stereogenic center at the benzylic position followed by, for heliannuol A, ring-closing metathesis, diastereoselective epoxidation, and regioselective cleavage of the epoxide; and for heliannuol K, ring-closing metathesis and conjugate reduction of the eight-membered enone.     

Iodo-cyclizations: novel strategy for the total syntheses of polyrhacitide A and epi-cryptocaryolone

Highly stereoselective total syntheses of polyrhacitide A and epi-cryptocaryolone have been achieved in 11 steps with high overall yield of 24% and 28%, respectively, following a recently developed strategy for the construction of trans-2,6-disubstituted-3,4-dihydropyrans. In this report, the versatility of iodo-cyclization for the total syntheses of polyrhacitide A and epi-cryptocaryolone is demonstrated.     

Studies toward the enantioselective syntheses of oxylipins: total synthesis and structure revision of solandelactone E

An efficient and general entry to unsaturated cyclopropane- and lactone-containing oxylipins of marine origin has been designed and applied to the first enantioselective total synthesis of solandelactone E. The synthesis, which proceeds in a total of 23 steps from commercially available materials, features a diastereoselective acetal-directed cyclopropanation of an electron-deficient diene, a regioselective Sharpless enantioselective dihydroxylation, and a stereoselective [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of a selenoxide to effect a 1,3-transposition of an allylic alcohol. Comparison of spectral data for the synthetic solandelactone, thus prepared, with data in the literature led to a revision of the original structural assignments of the C(11)-epimeric solandelactones.     

A unified strategy for the asymmetric total syntheses of diversonol and lachnone C

A unified synthetic strategy for the asymmetric syntheses of the natural products diversonol and lachnone C was developed by using the domino vinylogous aldol-oxa-Michael reaction as the enantioselective key step. Further transformations include dihydroxylation, lactol-opening by a Wittig-reaction, and lactonization. The obtained chromone lactones, a class of mycotoxins, can further be converted to tetrahydroxanthones by a Dieckmann condensation. This general method allows for the first time the enantioselective access to these classes of natural products and should be applicable to other members of the tetrahydroxanthone and chromone lactone families.     

Efficient total syntheses of louisianins C and D

An efficient synthetic route for the preparation of louisianins C and D was developed starting with the commercially available 4-cyanopyridine. Louisianins C and D were synthesized in seven steps and with overall yields 22% and 20%, respectively, following a novel cyclization-decarboxylation sequence involving 4-bromo-6,7-dihydrocyclopenta[c]pyridin-5-one as the key intermediate.     

Concise total syntheses of heliannuols B and D

Concise and efficient enantioselective total syntheses of heliannuols B and D have been accomplished using chirality transfer through a Lewis acid-promoted Claisen rearrangement for the construction of the C7 tertiary stereogenic center and a relay ring-closing metathesis for assembling the dihydrobenzo[b]oxepine backbone of the natural products as the key steps.     

An expedient enantioselective strategy for the oxatetracyclic core of platensimycin

An enantioselective route for the synthesis of oxatetracyclic core of platensimycin is reported for the first time using a 5-exo-trig cyclization followed by intramolecular etherification as key reactions. The requisite dienynone for the radical cyclization is synthesized in eight steps from the Wieland-Miescher ketone employing a Claisen rearrangement.     

New domino transposition/intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction in monocyclic allenols: a general strategy for tricyclic compounds

A novel and direct synthetic strategy to prepare fused tricycles has been developed from monocyclic allenols, masked functionalized dienes, which underwent a domino allenol transposition/intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction.     

A carbohydrate-based total syntheses of (+)-pyrenolide D and (-)-4-epi-pyrenolide D

Efficient total syntheses of (+)-pyrenolide D (5) and (-)-4-epi-pyrenolide D (6) have been achieved from a known 5-deoxy-d-xylose derivative 9 in ten steps with 19% overall yield either exclusively as 5 or as pure 5 and 6 in a 3:2 ratio. Key steps involved are one-pot epoxidation-cyclization by Corey-Chaykvosky reagent, reductive Barton-McCombie deoxygenation, and per-acid mediated oxidative spiroketalization.     

First total syntheses and spectral data corrections of 11-alpha-methoxycurvularin and 11-beta-methoxycurvularin

Concise and efficient total syntheses of 11-alpha-methoxycurvularin and 11-beta-methoxycurvularin were accomplished for the first time. The three-component linchpin coupling and intramolecular acylation reactions were key steps, in which we found the spectral data of 11-alpha-methoxycurvularin and 11-beta-methoxycurvularin, reported in the literature, were reversed with each other.