Practical procedures for the preparation of N-tert-butyldimethylsilylhydrazones and their use in modified Wolff-Kishner reductions and in the synthesis of vinyl halides and gem-dihalides

Total synthesis of (+)-frondosin A. Application of the Ru-catalyzed [5+2] cycloaddition

The first total synthesis of (+)-frondosin A was accomplished in 19 longest linear and 21 total steps from commercially available materials. The key features of the synthesis include a Ru-catalyzed [5+2] cycloaddition, a Claisen rearrangement, and a ring expansion to construct the core of the frondosin A in a diastereoselective and regioselective fashion. This is the first application of a Ru-catalyzed [5+2] cycloaddition in the total synthesis of a natural product. Through this synthesis, the absolute configuration of (+)-frondosin A was established.

A Mild Synthesis of Vinyl Halides and gem-Dihalides Using Triphenyl Phosphite−Halogen-Based Reagents

A new application of (PhO)3P-halogen-based reagents to the synthesis of vinyl halides and gem-dihalides is described. Vinyl halides were prepared in good to excellent yields from enolizable ketones, whereas aldehydes afforded the corresponding gem-dihalides. The halogenation proceeded smoothly under mild conditions.