Enantioselective total synthesis of marine diterpenoid clavulactone

The key steps in the synthesis of clavulactone are formation of an enantiopure cyclopentane precursor by epoxide rearrangement and intramolecular carbonyl-ene reaction, construction of the 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran ring by intermolecular hetero-Diels-Alder reaction, closure of the eleven-membered ring, and finally generation of the lactone functionality by chemoselective allylic C(sp(3))-H oxidation.     

Total Synthesis of Marine Eicosanoid (−)‐Hybridalactone

(?)‐Hybridalactone ( 1 ) is a marine eicosanoid isolated from the red alga Laurencia hybrida. This natural product contains cyclopropane, cyclopentane, 13‐membered macrolactone and epoxide ring systems incorporating seven stereogenic centers. Moreover, this compound has an acid‐labile skipped Z,Z‐diene motif. In this paper, we report on the total synthesis of (?)‐hybridalactone ( 1 ). The unique eicosanoid (?)‐hybridalactone ( 1 ) was synthesized starting from optically active γ‐butyrolactone 2 in a linear sequence comprising 21 steps with an overall yield of 21.9 %. A key step in the synthesis of (?)‐hybridalactone ( 1 ) is the methyl phenylsulfonylacetate‐mediated one‐pot synthesis of the cis‐cyclopropane‐γ‐lactone derivative. This reaction provided an efficient and stereoselective access to cis‐cyclopropane‐γ‐lactone 12 . Further elaboration of the latter compounds through desulfonylation, epoxidation, oxidation, Wittig olefination and Shiina macrolactonization afforded (?)‐hybridalactone.     

A de novo synthesis of 2,6-dideoxy-C-aryl glycosides based on ring closing metathesis and diastereoselective epoxide cleavage/anomerization reactions

[formula: see text] This paper describes a synthesis of enantiomerically pure 2,6-dideoxy-C-aryl glycosides, starting from non-carbohydrate precursors. The synthesis starts from homoallylic alcohols (obtained in enantiomerically pure form by enzymatic resolution), which are elaborated to dihydropyrans using ring closing metathesis as the key step. Epoxidation and epoxide cleavage complete the synthesis. The stereochemical outcome of the sequence depends on the conditions of the epoxide cleavage reaction.     

Synthesis of 1‐Arylnaphthalenes by Gold‐Catalyzed One‐Pot Sequential Epoxide to Carbonyl Rearrangement and Cyclization with Arylalkynes

Intermolecular and intramolecular reactions of a one‐pot gold‐catalyzed epoxide rearrangement followed by an electrophilic addition to arylalkynes to synthesize 1‐arylnaphthalenes have been reported. The intramolecular reaction has been applied to synthesize 1‐arylnaphthalenes fused with saturated furan, pyran, pyrrole, and cyclopentane ring systems.     

A cyclopentane conformational restraint for a peptide nucleic acid: design,asymmetric synthesis,and improved binding affinity to DNA and RNA

[structure: see text] A strategy to restrict the highly flexible backbone conformation of a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) by incorporation of a cyclopentane ring is proposed. An asymmetric synthesis of cyclopentane-modified PNA is reported, and its binding properties were determined. The cyclopentane ring leads to a significant improvement in the binding properties of the resulting PNA to DNA and RNA.     

Biphenyl‐Derived Phosphepines as Chiral Nucleophilic Catalysts: Enantioselective [4+1] Annulations To Form Functionalized Cyclopentenes

Because of the frequent occurrence of cyclopentane subunits in bioactive compounds, the development of efficient catalytic asymmetric methods for their synthesis is an important objective. Introduced herein is a new family of chiral nucleophilic catalysts, biphenyl‐derived phosphepines, and we apply them to an enantioselective variant of a useful [4+1] annulation. A range of one‐carbon coupling partners can be employed, thereby generating cyclopentenes which bear a fully substituted stereocenter [either all‐carbon or heteroatom‐substituted (sulfur and phosphorus)]. Stereocenters at the other four positions of the cyclopentane ring can also be introduced with good stereoselectivity. An initial mechanistic study indicates that phosphine addition to the electrophilic four‐carbon coupling partner is not the turnover‐limiting step of the catalytic cycle.     

Desymmetrization of a centrosymmetric diepoxide: efficient synthesis of a key intermediate in a total synthesis of hemibrevetoxin B

The preparation of an established intermediate in a total synthesis of hemibrevetoxin B is described. The acid-catalyzed cyclization of trans-4,5-epoxyoctane-2,7-dione exhibited a valuable mixture of kinetic and thermodynamic control: stereospecific epoxide opening was followed by equilibration of the products to provide the required trans-fused octahydropyrano[3,2-b]pyran ring system. Two-directional elaboration, by acetal substitution, ozonolysis, and sulfur ylide-mediated epoxidation, provided a centrosymmetric diepoxide. The key step of the synthesis was the first desymmetrization of a centrosymmetric molecule in natural product synthesis: Jacobsen asymmetric epoxide hydrolysis and acetonization provided the known synthetic intermediate in 97% yield and >95% ee over two steps. The exploitation of the center of symmetry of the AB ring system of the natural product contributed greatly to the efficiency (eight steps, 34% overall yield) of the synthesis.     

Efficient regioselective syntheses of α and β cuparenones. A new approach for the construction of the cyclopentane ring

This paper discloses the regioselective synthesis of the cyclopentane ring from a carbonyl compound via two ring expension reactions.     

Regioselective and diastereoselective synthesis of highly substituted cyclopentanes

Highly substituted cyclopentane rings are present in a wide range of targets, and the efficient synthesis of such compounds constitutes a continuing challenge to organic synthesis. We present two complementary approaches to the regio- and diastereoselective synthesis of highly substituted cyclopentane structures. In both cases, a non-symmetrically disposed norbornene is employed as a common intermediate. One strategy relies on the Lewis acid-catalyzed ring opening of an anhydride, while the other employs production of a bicyclic lactone followed by its selective functionalization.     

Synthesis of a Val-Pro diaminodiol dipeptide isostere by epoxyamine cyclization

[reaction: see text] The stereoselective synthesis of a novel proline-containing dipeptide isostere is described. Starting from l-valine, three new contiguous stereocenters are generated by asymmetric induction and epoxide chemistry, while the pyrrolidine ring of proline is introduced in the final step via intramolecular ring opening of the amino acid derived epoxyamine. Proline-containing peptidomimetics are potentially attractive as selective inhibitors of proline-specific enzymes, such as PPIases and retroviral proteases, and as analogues of bioactive peptides.     

An iron-catalysed chemo- and regioselective tetrahydrofuran synthesis

An intermolecular ring expansion reaction of an aryl epoxide with several dienes, acrylates, enynes or styrenes under iron catalysis, generated tetrahydrofuran derivatives in a highly chemo- and regioselective fashion. The process could be used in an unprecedented way for the one step synthesis of racemic calyxolane A and calyxolane B with acceptable diastereoselectivity.     

Total Synthesis of Potent Antitumor Agent (−)‐Lasonolide A: A Cycloaddition‐Based Strategy

A detailed account of the enantioselective total synthesis of (?)‐lasonolide A is described. Our initial synthetic route to the top tetrahydropyran ring involved Evans asymmetric alkylation as the key step. Initially, we relied on the diastereoselective alkylation of an α‐alkoxyacetimide derivative containing an α′ stereogenic center and investigated such an asymmetric alkylation reaction. Although alkylation proceeded in good yield, the lack of diastereoselectivity prompted us to explore alternative routes. Our subsequent successful synthetic strategies involved highly diastereoselective cycloaddition routes to both tetrahydropyran rings of lasonolide A. The top tetrahydropyran ring was constructed stereoselectively by an intramolecular 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition reaction. The overall process constructed a bicyclic isoxazoline, which was later unravelled to a functionalized tetrahydropyran ring as well as a quaternary stereocenter present in the molecule. The lower tetrahydropyran ring was assembled by a Jacobsen catalytic asymmetric hetero‐Diels–Alder reaction as the key step. The synthesis also features a Lewis acid catalyzed epoxide opening to form a substituted ether stereoselectively.     

Stereoselective synthesis of orthogonally protected 2,3-disubstituted morpholines using a base-catalysed cascade reaction

The stereoselective synthesis of differentially protected [3-(hydroxymethyl)morpholin-2-yl]methanols is described, starting from chiral epoxides. The key step involves a one-pot oxazolidinone formation via intramolecular epoxide opening and concomitant cyclisation to form the morpholine ring. Selective deprotection reveals the free hydroxymethyl group at either the 2- or 3-position of the morpholine.     

Biosynthetic studies on the cyclopentane ring formation of allosamizoline, an aminocyclitol component of the chitinase inhibitor allosamidin

Allosamizoline (1) is an aminocyclitol component of allosamidin, a Streptomyces metabolite, and has a cyclopentane ring originated from D-glucosamine. Biosynthesis of the cyclopentane ring was studied by feeding experiments with a variety of deuterium-labeled glucosamine and glucose. In the feeding experiments with [3-(2)H]- and [4-(2)H]-D-glucosamine and [1-(2)H]-D-glucose, deuterium was incorporated into C-3, C-4, and C-1 of 1, respectively. On the other hand, feeding experiments with [5-(2)H]- and [6,6-(2)H(2)]-D-glucosamine showed that deuterium on C-5 and one of the two deuterium atoms on C-6 of glucosamine were lost during the cyclopentane ring formation of 1. In the feeding experiments with (6R)- and (6S)-[6-(2)H(1)]-D-glucose, the (6R)-deuterium of glucose was incorporated into the proS position on C-6 of 1, but the (6S)-deuterium of glucose was not incorporated into 1. These results suggested that an intermediate with a 6-aldehyde group is involved in the biosynthesis of the cyclopentane ring moiety of 1 and overall inversion of stereochemistry of the C-6 methylene group occurred by stereospecific oxidation and reduction on C-6 during the formation of 1. The 6-aldehyde intermediate may play a key role in the biosynthetic step(s) of cyclization to form the cyclopentane ring and/or deoxygenation at C-5.     

Cyclopentane synthesis and annulation: Intramolecular radical cyclization of acetals

A general procedure for cyclopentane synthesis based on free-radical cyclization of thioacetals is described. This permits the rapid assembly, by intramolecular annulation, of various ring systems bearing useful functionality for use in total synthesis.     

A simple and efficient stereoselective synthesis of (−)-cleistenolide

A simple and straightforward stereoselective synthesis of α,β-unsaturated δ-lactone, (?)-cleistenolide has been accomplished in 10 steps in an overall yield of 19%, starting from inexpensive and commercially available starting materials, respectively. This linear synthesis utilizes Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, sulfur ylide mediated epoxide opening followed by ring-closing metathesis (RCM) for the formation of six-membered lactone ring as the key step sequence.     

Sculpting the bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane template of carbocyclic nucleosides to improve recognition by herpes thymidine kinase

The replacement of the furanose ring by a cyclopentane in nucleosides generates a group of analogues known generically as carbocyclic nucleosides. These compounds have increased chemical and enzymatic stability due to the absence of a true glycosyl bond that characterizes conventional nucleosides. The additional fusion of a cyclopropane ring to the cyclopentane produces a bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane system that depending on its location relative to the nucleobase is able to lock the embedded cyclopentane ring into conformations that mimic the typical north and south conformations of the furanose ring in conventional nucleosides. These bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane templates have already provided important clues to differentiate the contrasting conformational preferences between kinases and polymerases. Herein, we describe the design, synthesis, and phosphorylation pattern of a new bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane thymidine analogue that seems to possess an ideal spatial distribution of pharmacophores for an optimal interaction with herpes simplex 1 thymidine kinase. The bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane template represents a privileged rigid template for sculpting other carbocyclic nucleosides to meet the demands of specific receptors.     

Synthesis of the Epimeric Secosteroids Strophasterols A and B

Two epimeric rearranged ergostanes, strophasterols A and B, with an unprecedented carbon skeleton were synthesized from ergosterol, both in 17 steps via a common secosteroidal intermediate. The conversion of ergosterol into the pivotal intermediate involved an efficient acid‐catalyzed double‐bond migration from ring B to ring D, oxidative cleavage of the double bond, and a completely diastereoselective acyl radical cyclization to form an isolated cyclopentanone ring unique to this recently discovered family of steroidal compounds produced by mushrooms. The intermediate was transformed stereodivergently into two epimeric cyclopentane derivatives through hydrogenation using two types of catalysts. One epimer was elaborated into strophasterol B by utilizing peracid oxidation of an iodide to provide an epoxide directly, and the other epimer was elaborated into strophasterol A, which is known to be a suppressor of endoplasmic reticulum stress.     

First synthesis of the A/B ring of ouabain

[reaction: see text] The synthesis of the fully fuctionalized A/B ring of ouabain has been accomplished efficiently from commercially available starting materials. A key Robinson annulation allows for the building of the desired carbon framework in one high-yielding step. Directed epoxidation followed by selective epoxide opening furnished the final tetraol with the desired all-cis stereochemistry.     

A concise synthesis of the functionalised cyclopentane unit in the antitumoural antibiotic viridenomycin

A concise seven-step synthesis of the cyclopentane unit in viridenomycin, which uses a regio- and stereo-selective rhodium catalysed intramolecular C-H insertion reaction as the key step, is described.