First total synthesis of (+/-)-strychnofoline via a highly selective ring-expansion reaction

A rapid three-component MgI(2)-mediated synthesis of 3,3-pyrollidinyl spirooxindoles

The rapid synthesis of 3,3-pyrollidinyl-spirooxindole cores from readily available cyclopropyl spirooxindoles and commercially available aldehydes, amines, and sulfonamides is reported. This general procedure utilizes microwave heating to access a biologically privileged scaffold in an efficient route amenable to library population.

Pyrrolidinyl-spirooxindole natural products as inspirations for the development of potential therapeutic agents

The 3,3'-pyrrolidinyl-spirooxindole unit is a privileged heterocyclic motif that forms the core of a large family of alkaloid natural products with strong bioactivity profiles and interesting structural properties. Significant recent advances in the synthesis of this fused heterocyclic system have led to intense interest in the development of related compounds as potential medicinal agents or biological probes.

One-Step Synthesis of Heteroaromatic-Fused Pyrrolidines via Cyclopropane Ring-Opening Reaction: Application to the PKCβ Inhibitor JTT-010

A ring-opening reaction of cyclopropanes with five-membered heteroaromatics having a leaving group at C(2) was found to provide heteroaromatic-fused pyrrolidines in one step. This reaction was successfully applied to the synthesis of the protein kinase C-beta inhibitor JTT-010, which possesses a dihydropyrrolo[1,2-a]indole core.

Synthesis of (±)-Strychnofoline via a Highly Convergent Selective Annulation Reaction

Studies aimed at preparing (+/-)-strychnofoline by total synthesis are detailed. The route described makes use of a recently developed MgI(2)-mediated ring-expansion reaction of spiro[cyclopropan-1,3'-oxindole] with a cyclic disubstituted aldimine. The ring-expansion product was formed as a single diastereoisomer in 55 % yield, possessing the same stereochemical pattern found in strychnofoline. In addition, our synthetic effort has led to the development of new reaction methodology to access 3,4-disubstituted cyclic aldimines.

A highly diastereoselective, catalytic three-component assembly reaction for the synthesis of spiropyrrolidinyloxindoles

Spiropyrrolidinyloxindole compounds are synthesized in moderate to excellent yield via a highly diastereoselective Cu(I)-catalysed three-component assembly reaction of an imine, diazo-compound and substituted olefin dipolarophile.

General Strategy for the Syntheses of Corynanthe, Tacaman, and Oxindole Alkaloids

We report herein the total synthesis of the corynanthe alkaloid dihydrocorynantheol and the formal syntheses of the indole alkaloids tacamonine, rhynchophylline, and hirsutine. The strategies for assembling the corynanthe and tacaman skeletal frameworks comprised of both the classical ABD --> ABCD and ABC --> ABCD approaches wherein the variously substituted piperidinone D-rings were formed via ring-closing metathesis (RCM) followed by a 1,4-addition to introduce the requisite side chain at C(15). Since 1,4-additions to alpha,beta-unsaturated lactams represent an underdeveloped field, we conducted a series of studies with two unsaturated lactams employing organocuprates and metal enolates as the nucleophiles. These studies revealed that organocuprates derived from Grignard reagents and either stoichiometric amounts of CuCN or catalytic amounts of CuBr.DMS complex are excellent nucleophiles for such additions; TMSCl was a crucial additive for optimizing these reactions. The anion derived from ethyl 1,3-dithiolane-2-carboxylate was also an excellent nucleophile in these 1,4-additions, although the stereochemistry of such 1,4-additions to carboline-derived, unsaturated lactams was sensitive to substitution on the indole nitrogen atom. The ABD --> ABCD approach to these alkaloids featured a novel one-pot sequence of an RCM reaction and a zirconocene-catalyzed carbomagnesation followed by a second RCM to generate the D-ring.

Pd-Cu Bimetallic Catalyzed Domino Cyclization of α-Allenols Followed by a Coupling Reaction: New Sequence Leading to Functionalized Spirolactams

A novel regioselective metal-catalyzed spirocyclization of alpha-allenols-cross coupling (Heck, Sonogashira, and Suzuki) reaction sequence, leading to potentially bioactive spirocyclic lactam derivatives has been developed. Precursors for the tandem spirocyclization-coupling reaction, alpha-allenols 2 a-d were obtained starting from alpha-oxolactams 1 a-c via indium-mediated Barbier-type carbonyl-allenylation reaction in aqueous media by using our previously described methodologies.

Diastereoselective Synthesis of Pyrrolidines via the Yb(OTf)3 Catalyzed Three-Component Reaction of Aldehydes, Amines, and 1,1-Cyclopropanediesters

[Chemical reaction: see text] Aldimines, generated in situ by the reaction of primary amines or anilines with aldehydes, undergo smooth reaction with various 1,1-cyclopropanediesters in the presence of catalytic Yb(OTf)3. The products are pyrrolidines in which the major diastereomer bears a cis relationship between substituents at the 2- and 5-positions. In most cases the diastereoselectivity is greater than 10:1.

1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Chemistry for the Preparation of Novel Indolizinone-Based Compounds

[Chemical reaction: See text] Starting from methyl 5-oxo-6-trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy-1,2,3,5-tetrahydroindolizine-8-carboxylate, obtained by a Rh(II)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of 1-(2-benzenesulfonyl-2-diazoacetyl)pyrrolidin-2-one and methyl acrylate, several indolo- and furano-fused indolizinones were efficiently prepared. In the first case, a palladium-mediated C-N coupling of the triflate with a variety of substituted anilines provided the desired methyl 5-oxo-6-(arylamino)-1,2,3,5-tetrahydroindolizine-8-carboxylates in high yield. Methyl 6-(2-bromophenylamino)-5-oxo-1,2,3,5-tetrahydroindolizine-8-carboxylate as well as its decarboxylated analogue, 6-(2-bromophenylamino)-2,3-dihydro-1H-indolizin-5-one, were synthesized in excellent yield and were found to undergo an intramolecular Heck cyclization to give 1,2,3,6-tetrahydroindolizino[6,7-b]indol-5-ones. To prepare furano-fused indolizinones, methyl 6-hydroxy-5-oxo-1,2,3,5-tetrahydroindolizine-8-carboxylate was etherified with different allyl halides, and the resultant allyl ethers were subjected to a thermal Claisen rearrangement to give the corresponding methyl 7-allyl-6-hydroxy-5-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroindolizine-8-carboxylates. Cyclization under Wacker oxidation conditions afforded methyl 2-methyl-8-oxo-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-1-oxa-7a-aza-s-indacene-4-carboxylates in near-quantitative yield.

Total Synthesis of (−)-Spirotryprostatin B: Synthesis and Related Studies

The total synthesis of spirotryprostatin B, a cytostatic spiro[pyrrolidine-3,3'-oxindole] alkaloid, is described. The key step of the synthetic approach consists of the application of the MgI2-mediated ring-expansion reaction of a spiro[cyclopropane-1,3'-oxindole] with an aldimine, leading to rapid assembly of the spirotryprostatin core. The route documents the installation of the prenyl side chain by Julia-Kocieński olefination of a key aldehyde precursor, a transformation that ultimately allows for facile synthesis of analogues and facilitates structure-activity relationships studies.

TiCl4 catalyzed tandem construction of C–C and C–O bonds: a simple and one-pot atom-economical stereoselective synthesis of spiro-oxindoles

An atom-economical stereoselective synthesis of [{1-acetyl-5-methyl-6,8-dioxabicyclo(3.2.1)octane}-7-spiro-3'-(indolin-2'-one)] derivatives, containing both the oxindole and 6,8-dioxabicyclo(3.2.1)octane moieties via TiCl(4) catalyzed coupling of 2-acetyl-6-methyl-2,3-dihydro-4H-pyran with isatin derivatives is described.

Magnesium Iodide Promoted Reactions of Nitrones with Cyclopropanes: A Synthesis of Tetrahydro-1,2-oxazines

Anhydrous magnesium iodide (MgI(2)) is shown to be an effective promoter of the "homo 3+2" dipolar cycloaddition of nitrones with 1,1-cyclopropane diesters. In almost all cases the products tetrahydro-1,2-oxazines are formed in excellent yields. The reactions are highly diastereoselective for a cis relationship between the substitutents at the 3- and 6-positions on the tetrahydrooxazine ring. As an alternative to using a preformed nitrone, the reaction may be performed in a 3-component sense by combining an aldehyde, an hydroxylamine, and the cyclopropane in the presence of catalytic MgI(2).

A Highly Diastereoselective MgI2-Mediated Ring Expansion of Methylenecyclopropanes

[reaction: see text] A highly diastereoselective MgI(2)-mediated ring expansion of methylenecyclopropane amides to functionalized pyrrolidines has been developed using chiral aromatic sulfinimines. The 2,3,4-trisubstituted pyrrolidines were isolated in generally good to excellent yields and in excellent diastereoselectivities for aromatic and heterocyclic sulfinimines.