Total synthesis of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, (+)-vittatine and (+)-haemanthamine, starting from d-glucose

The stereoselective total synthesis of (+)-vittatine 1 and (+)-haemanthamine 2 starting from d-glucose is described. The cyclohexene ring in 1 was prepared in an optically active form from d-glucose using Ferrier's carbocyclization reaction, and the critical quaternary carbon was stereoselectively generated via chirality transfer by the Claisen rearrangement of cyclohexenol 6. The hexahydroindole skeleton was effectively constructed by the intramolecular aminomercuration-demercuration of 14, followed by Chugaev reaction to provide 16. Finally, Pictet-Spengler reaction completed the first chiral synthesis of (+)-vittatine 1. On the other hand, the α-hydroxylation of the ester 5 stereoselectively proceeded to give α-hydroxy ester 19, to which was introduced an amino function to provide 4. A similar transformation of 4, as employed in the synthesis of vittatine, furnished (+)-haemanthamine 2.     

A new route to aristocularine alkaloids: total synthesis of aristoyagonine

A short and efficient synthesis of aristocularines, involving the sequential construction of phosphorylated 4-alkoxyisoindolinones, Horner-type reaction, and ultimate cyclization by diaryl ether coupling, is disclosed. The success of this new conceptual approach is demonstrated by the total synthesis of the aristocularine alkaloid aristoyagonine.     

Asymmetric synthetic access to the hetisine alkaloids: total synthesis of (+)-nominine

A dual cycloaddition strategy for the synthesis of the hetisine alkaloids has been developed, illustrated by a concise asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-nominine (7). The approach relies on an early-stage intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of a 4-oxido-isoquinolinium betaine dipole with an ene-nitrile dipolarophile. Subsequent late-stage pyrrolidine-induced dienamine isomerization/Diels-Alder cascade allows for rapid construction of the carbon--nitrogen polycyclic skeleton within this class of C(20)-diterpenoid alkaloids.     

Chemoenzymatic approaches to the montanine alkaloids: a total synthesis of (+)-nangustine

The synthesis of (+)-nangustine [(+)-2] has been achieved, for the first time, using the enantiomerically pure cis-1,2-dihydrocatechol 3 as starting material. The latter compound is available, in multi-gram quantities, through a whole-cell-mediated biotransformation of chlorobenzene using genetically engineered organisms that over-express the responsible enzyme, namely toluene dioxygenase. Since the enantiomer of compound 3 is available by related means, the present work also represents a formal total synthesis of the montanine alkaloid (−)-nangustine [(−)-2]. Single-crystal X-ray analyses of compounds 13 and (+)-2 are reported.     

Chemoenzymatic approaches to the montanine alkaloids: a total synthesis of (+)-brunsvigine

The readily available and enzymatically derived cis-1,2-dihydrocatechols 3a and 3b have been elaborated over 17 steps, including a novel radical addition/elimination sequence, into the enantiomer, (+)-1, of the montanine alkaloid brunsvigine [(-)-1].     

Stereoselective and facile total synthesis of (+)-goniodiol,a styryllactone from carbohydrates

The stereoselective synthesis of (+)-goniodiol, a cytotoxic styryllactone, has been accomplished in 10 steps starting from inexpensive and readily available d-manitol and δ-gluconolactone involving the direct and straightforward reaction conditions of Grignard addition, chain elongation, and hydroboration, thus making the synthesis simple and convenient.     

A new strategy towards the total synthesis of phenanthridone alkaloids: synthesis of (+)-2,7-dideoxypancratistatin as a model study

A new strategy towards the synthesis of phenanthridone alkaloids has been reported through the synthesis of (+)-2,7-dideoxypancratistatin from D-(-)-quinic acid employing PET initiated carbocyclization of an electron rich aromatics by silylenol ether as a key step.     

Asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-luciduline: toward a general approach to related Lycopodium alkaloids

As part of a research program directed toward the synthesis of Lycopodium alkaloids, a multigram scale asymmetric synthesis of intermediate 11 was achieved in 11 steps from pyridine (17). In addition to our alkene metathesis strategy, a key feature of this synthetic approach consists of a Fukuyama's Diels-Alder cycloaddition between 1,2-dihydropyridine and acrolein using MacMillan's catalyst (18) on a 50 g scale. This led to a 12-step catalytic asymmetric synthesis of (+)-luciduline (1). A broader subset of Lycopodium alkaloids could also be obtained, as demonstrated by the derivatization of 11 into advanced intermediates for the synthesis of some of these natural products.     

A chemoenzymatic total synthesis of the Amaryllidaceae alkaloid narseronine

A 15-step and fully stereocontrolled total synthesis of the title alkaloid 1 has been accomplished using the enantiomerically pure and enzymatically-derived cis-1,2-dihydrocatechol 2 as starting material. The final and pivotal step involved the intramolecular hetero-Michael addition of secondary amine 16 to a tethered enone moiety followed by trapping of the resulting enolate through its reaction with an adjacent ester residue.     

Application of a catalytic palladium biaryl synthesis reaction, via C-H functionalization, to the total synthesis of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids

The total synthesis of the Amaryllidaceae alkaloids dehydroanhydrolycorine, hippadine, pratosine, anhydrolycorine, assoanine, anhydrolycorin-7-one and oxoassoanine was achieved from the appropriate N-benzylisatin precursors using an intramolecular, palladium catalyzed, dehydrohalogenation, biaryl synthesis reaction to establish the carbon skeleton of the natural products. In order to avoid the formation of regioisomers in the cyclization reactions it was found necessary to incorporate the halogen on the benzyl group. Borane reduction of the 7H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-de]phenanthridine-4,5-dione derivatives gave 7H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-de]- and 4,5-dihydro-7H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-de]-phenanthridines (dehydroanhydrolycorine, dehydroassoanine, anhydrolycorine and assoanine). The former were readily reduced to the latter with NaCNBH₃ to give anhydrolycorine and assoanine. These compounds were then oxidized to anhydrolycorin-7-one and oxoassoanine whilst the same mixtures of borane reduction products could be oxidized to give hippadine and pratosine.     

A new asymmetric synthesis of 2,6-cis-disubstituted 4-methylenepiperidines: total synthesis of (+)-alkaloid 241D and (+)-isosolenopsin A

A highly diastereoselective synthesis of 2,6-cis-disubstituted-4-methylenepiperidines based on a Mannich type intramolecular cyclization of an allylsilane on an iminium ion is described. The synthetic potential of this methodology is demonstrated by the enantioselective synthesis of two natural piperidine alkaloids: (+)-alkaloid 241D and (+)-isosolenopsin A.     

A total synthesis of (+)-isolaurepan

A versatile and efficient method for the enantioselective synthesis of 2,7-cis-disubstituted oxepane 1c, (+)-isolaurepan, using oxidative resolution of a secondary alcohol and highly diastereoselective Et₃SiH/TMSOTf-promoted reductive cyclization of a hydroxy ketone is described.     

Biomimetic entry to the sarpagan family of indole alkaloids: total synthesis of +-geissoschizine and +-N-methylvellosimine

A concise synthesis of (+)-geissoschizine (1), a biosynthetic precursor of a variety of monoterpenoid indole alkaloids, from d-tryptophan (19) was performed as a critical prelude to achieving the first biomimetic, enantioselective synthesis of the sarpagine alkaloid (+)-N(a)-methylvellosimine (5). The approach to (+)-geissoschizine was designed to address the dual problems of stereocontrolled formation of the E-ethylidene moiety and the correct relative configuration at C(3) and C(15). Key steps in the synthesis involve a vinylogous Mannich reaction to prepare the carboline 22, which has the absolute stereochemistry at C(3) corresponding to that in 1 and 5, and an intramolecular Michael addition that leads to the tetracyclic corynantheane derivative 24, which possesses the correct stereochemical relationship between C(3) and C(15). Compound 24 was then transformed into 27, the pivotal intermediate in the syntheses of 1 and 5, by a sequence that allowed the stereospecific introduction of the E-ethylidene moiety. Selective reduction of the lactam in 27 followed by removal of the C(5) carboxyl group by radical decarbonylation gave deformylgeissoschizine (2) that was converted into (+)-geissoschizine (1) by formylation. The common intermediate 27 was then converted via a straightforward sequence of reactions into the alpha-amino nitrile 39. The derived silyl enol ether 40 underwent ionization upon exposure to BF(3).OEt(2) to give the intermediate iminium ion 41 that then cyclized in a biomimetically inspired intramolecular Mannich reaction to deliver (+)-N(a)-methylvellosimine (5). This transformation provides experimental support for the involvement of such a cyclization as one of the key steps in the biosynthesis of the sarpagine and ajmaline alkaloids.     

Total synthesis of (+)-aspidospermidine: a new strategy for the enantiospecific synthesis of aspidosperma alkaloids

A new strategy was developed for the enantiospecific synthesis of aspidosperma alkaloids. The key steps involve a novel ketene-lactonization reaction of a chiral vinyl sulfoxide to efficiently set up the quaternary carbon center, and a tandem Michael addition-alkylation reaction sequence to form the polycyclic core structure. This new strategy was employed in the total synthesis of natural product (+)-aspidospermidine.     

A novel total synthesis of elaeocarpus alkaloids

The novel synthesis of elaeocarpus alkaloids has been achieved employing 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction as a key step.     

A new synthetic entry to pentacyclic Strychnos indole alkaloids

Cyclization of the thionium ion generated by DMTSF treatment of dithioacetal 15 constitutes a new synthetic entry to the pentacyclic ring system of Strychnos indole alkaloids.     

A biomimetic total synthesis of (+)-intricarene

An asymmetric synthesis of the furanocembrane (−)-bipinnatin J (3a) found in gorgonian corals is described. Treatment of 3a with VO(acac)₂-^tBuOOH, followed by acetylation, gave acetoxypyranone 15. When 15 was heated in the presence of DBU, it underwent a transannular oxidopyrylium-alkene [5+2] cycloaddition producing the polycyclic diterpene (+)-intricarene 1, isolated from the coral Pseudopterogorgia kallos. The total synthesis of intricarene 1 mimics its most likely biosynthesis via oxidation of bipinnatin J (3a) in vivo.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-rogioloxepane A

[reactiojn: see text] The enantioselective synthesis of (+)-rogioloxepane A has been achieved in 21 steps from 1,5-hexadien-3-ol. The key steps in the synthesis are an asymmetric glycolate alkylation leading to the diene 2 and a subsequent ring-closing metathesis to construct the oxepene core.     

First total synthesis of (+)-crassalactone A

A simple and highly efficient first total synthesis of cytotoxic (+)-crassalactone A starting from (R)-mandelic acid is described. The strategy involves the osmium tetroxide-catalyzed cis-hydroxylation and the stereoselective addition of ethyl lithiopropiolate to a chiral aldehyde intermediate as key steps.     

A total asymmetric synthesis of (+)-ar-turmerone

Employing a chiral oxazoline, a total synthesis of the title compound is described.