Palladium- and molybdenum-catalyzed hydrostannation of alkynes. A novel access to regio- and stereodefined vinylstannanes

Stereoretentive Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of haloallenes enables fully stereocontrolled access to (-)-peridinin

Stimulated by the substantial challenge of synthesizing the complex and sensitive stereogenic allene-containing core of (-)-peridinin, the first stereocontrolled coupling of haloallenes with boronic acids has been achieved. This new method and the principles that emerged during its development stand to enable the more efficient and flexible preparation of a wide range of natural products, pharmaceuticals, and intermediates that possess a stereogenic allene motif. This new reaction was harnessed to achieve the first completely stereocontrolled total synthesis of (-)-peridinin. This synthesis was accomplished using only one reaction iteratively to assemble four fully functionalized building blocks with complete stereoretention at each initial halide or boron-bearing carbon. This synthesis elevates the capacity of the iterative cross-coupling strategy to an unprecedented benchmark. Moreover, the efficient and highly modular nature of this synthesis promises to enable systematic dissection of the heretofore enigmatic structure/function relationships that underlie the protein-like antilipoperoxidant activities of this remarkable small molecule natural product.

Total syntheses of (+)- and (-)-pestalotiopsin A

An enantioselective total synthesis of both enantiomers of caryophyllene-type sesquiterpenoid pestalotiopsin A has been achieved, thereby establishing the absolute stereochemistry of natural (+)-pestalotiopsin A. Highlights of the synthesis include a [2 + 2] cycloaddition of N-propioloyl Oppolzer's camphorsultam and ketene dialkyl acetal and subsequent highly stereoselective 1,4-hydride addition/protonation, an aldol reaction of functionalized bicyclic lactone with aldehyde, an efficient intramolecular Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi (NHK) reaction for the construction of the highly strained (E)-cyclononene ring, and a palladium-catalyzed reduction of allylic mesylate with retention of the E configuration.

Synthesis of two bioactive natural products: FR252921 and pseudotrienic acid B

Concise and highly convergent syntheses of the immunosuppressive agent FR252921 and the related antimicrobial natural product pseudotrienic acid B were achieved from a common intermediate by using optically active titanium complexes to control the configuration of the stereogenic centers, a highly stereo- and regioselective cross-metathesis to generate the triene moieties, and a Stille cross-coupling to install the dienic units.

Highly efficient palladium-catalyzed hydrostannation of ethyl ethynyl ether

The palladium-catalyzed hydrostannation of acetylenes is widely exploited in organic synthesis as a means of forming vinyl stannanes for use in palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. Application of this methodology to ethyl ethynyl ether results in an enol ether that is challenging to isolate from the crude reaction mixture because of incompatibility with typical silica gel chromatography. Reported here is a highly efficient procedure for the palladium-catalyzed hydrostannation of ethyl ethynyl ether using 0.1% palladium(0) catalyst and 1.0 equiv of tributyltin hydride. The product obtained is a mixture of regioisomers that can be carried forward with exclusive reaction of the beta-isomer. This method is highly reproducible; relative to previously reported procedures, it is more economical and involves a more facile purification procedure.

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 alpha-alkoxyacetimide derivative containing an alpha' 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.

Asymmetric synthesis of naturally occurring spiroketals

Spiroketals are widely found as substructures of many naturally occurring compounds from diverse sources including plants, animals as well as microbes. Naturally occurring spiroketals are biologically active and most of them are chiral molecules. This article aims at reviewing the asymmetric synthesis of biologically active spiroketals for last 10 years (1998-2007).

Total synthesis studies on macrocyclic pipecolic acid natural products: FK506, the antascomicins and rapamycin

This chapter derives its inspiration from the challenges presented to total synthesis chemists, by a particular group of macrocyclic pipecolic acid natural products. Although there is considerable emphasis on the completed syntheses of the main characters (FK506 (1), the antascomycins (4 and 5) and rapamycin (7)), the overall complexity of the molecular problem has stimulated a wealth of new knowledge, including the development of novel strategies and the invention of new synthetic methods. The ingenious and innovative approaches to these targets have enabled new generations of analogues, and provided material to further probe the biology of these fascinating molecules. With pharmaceutical application as an immunosuppressant, as well as potential use for the treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, this family of natural products continues to inspire new and interesting science while providing solutions to healthcare problems of the world.

A One-Pot Synthesis of (E)-Disubstituted Alkenes by a Bimetallic [Rh–Pd]-Catalyzed Hydrosilylation/Hiyama Cross-Coupling Sequence

A bimetallic [Rh-Pd] catalyst was prepared by soaking into an iodide ionic gel an equimolar solution of [RhCl(PPh(3))(3)] and Pd(OAc)(2) in CH(2)Cl(2). Its catalytic activity was evaluated by rhodium-catalyzed hydrosilylation (H), palladium-catalyzed Hiyama coupling (C), and in the one-pot hydrosilylation/Hiyama coupling sequence (H/C). It was found that the homogeneous combination [RhCl(PPh(3))(3)]/NaI was a superior system compared to the polyionic mono- and bimetallic rhodium catalysts in the hydrosilylation of terminal alkynes. Interestingly, the most effective catalyst in terms of stereo- and chemoselectivities was observed to be the bimetallic ionic gel [Rh-Pd] in the one-pot process leading to (E)-alkenes with good yields. The remarkable stereocontrol is ascribed to a beneficial Pd-catalyzed isomerization from the mixture of stereoisomeric vinylsilanes obtained in the initial hydrosilylation step into the more stable (E)-adduct. The [Rh-Pd] heterogeneous catalyst also showed a higher chemoselectivity than the homogeneous catalytic combination, and no detrimental formation of Sonogashira side product was observed due to an ionic-gel-mediated kinetic modulation. To illustrate its scope and limitations, the described one-pot bimetallic catalytic sequence was extended to functionalized terminal alkynes and various iodide substrates. Conjugated systems, such as hydroxycinnamaldehyde, dienes, and trienes, were synthesized in good overall yields. To avoid deactivation of the Rh species, N-heterocyclic iodides had to be added sequentially after completion of hydrosilylation.

Total synthesis of complex cyclotryptamine alkaloids: stereocontrolled construction of quaternary carbon stereocenters

Our ability to access the more complex members of the cyclotryptamine family of alkaloids, and to exploit their disparate biological activities, is limited by the synthetic challenge posed by their oligomeric, polyindoline structures. A recurring structural theme within these molecules is the presence of multiple quaternary stereocenters in close proximity to one another. Over the last decade, we have developed a set of transformations that allow rapid access to polyindolines, a number of which exploit the ability of catalytic levels of palladium to orchestrate carbon-carbon bond formation with impressive levels of regio- and stereocontrol. This review tells the story behind the development of this toolbox of synthetic methods, and their validation through the total synthesis of a number of structurally complex cyclotryptamine alkaloids. It also highlights an aspect of asymmetric catalysis that has received little attention, the ability of catalytic asymmetric reactions to selectively elaborate complex, polyfunctional molecules.

Total synthesis of (+)-tedanolide

A convergent, stereocontrolled total synthesis of (+)-tedanolide (1), an architecturally complex marine antitumor macrolide, has been achieved in 31 steps (longest linear sequence). Highlights of the synthesis comprise a highly efficient dithiane union, followed by an Evans-Tishchenko "oxidation" to enable formation of the seco-ester in the presence of an oxidatively labile dithiane, a highly refined protecting group strategy, and a chemo- and stereoselective epoxidation at C(18,19).