Biomimetic total synthesis of litseaverticillols B, E, I, and J and structural reassignment of litseaverticillol E

[reaction: see text] The first total synthesis of litseaverticillols B (1), E (2), I (4), and J (5) as well as the structural reassignment of litseaverticillol E (2) have been achieved by means of a biomimetic sequence of transformations during which a [4 + 2]-initiated reaction cascade and an ene reaction, both involving singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)), formed key steps. The reassignment of the structure of litseaverticillol E (3) to include an allylic hydroperoxide provides strong support for our biogenetic hypothesis.     

Fragmentation branching ratios of highly excited hydrocarbon molecules CnH and their cations CnH+ (n<or=4)

We have measured fragmentation branching ratios of neutral C(n)H and C(n)H(+) cations produced in high velocity (4.5 a.u) collisions between incident C(n)H(+) cations and helium atoms. Electron capture gives rise to excited neutral species C(n)H and electronic excitation to excited cations C(n)H(+). Thanks to a dedicated setup, based on coincident detection of all fragments, the dissociations of the neutral and cationic parents were recorded separately and in a complete way. For the fragmentation of C(n)H, the H-loss channel is found to be dominant, as already observed by other authors. By contrast, the H-loss and C-loss channels equally dominate the two-fragment break up of C(n)H(+) species. For these cations, we provide the first fragmentation data (n>2). Results are also discussed in the context of astrochemistry.     

Sequential Visible Light-Induced Reactions Using Different Photocatalysts: Transformation of Furans into 2-Pyridones via γ-Lactams Using a New Ring Expansion Reaction

A new photocatalytic ring expansion reaction that transforms γ-lactams into 2-pyridones is described. The reaction is radical-triggered and was inspired by a late-stage oxidation commonly observed in fungal metabolism. The reaction is particularly powerful because it can be included in a one pot process which converts readily accessible furans directly into 2-pyridones through sequential photo-induced reactions (energy transfer and electron transfer). The study also unveiled unprecedented reactivity for the mild and metal-free photocatalyst eosin, wherein it is used to cleave a C−I bond activated only by an electron donor on the neighbouring carbon.     

Tandem reactions,cascade sequences,and biomimetic strategies in total synthesis

Cascade reactions and biomimetic strategies are being increasingly applied to the construction of natural and designed molecules. Such processes, in which ideally a single event triggers the conversion of a starting material to a product which then becomes a substrate for the next reaction until termination leads to a stable final product, are highly desirable not only due to their elegance, but also because of their efficiency and economy in terms of reagent consumption and purification. Often, these multistep, one-pot procedures are accompanied by dramatic increases in molecular complexity and impressive selectivity. The discovery of new molecular diversity from Nature and the demand for more efficient and environmentally benign chemical processes dictates and invites the further development of such synthetic strategies and tactics as we move into a new age of chemical synthesis. Within this article, a number of instructive examples of such synthetic strategies from the principal author's laboratories are discussed.