Short, Enantioselective Total Synthesis of Stephacidin A

Kinetic Resolution of β-Alkyl Phenylethylamine Derivatives through Palladium-Catalyzed, Nosylamide-Directed C-H Olefination

Palladium-catalyzed C-H activation reactions have attracted the attention of organic researchers due to their unique high selectivity, broad functional group tolerance, and high efficiency, and they are widely used in natural products and asymmetric synthesis. Here, we report an example of enantioselective C-H alkenylation between β-alkyl phenylethylamine compounds and styrenes with Boc-L-lle-OH as the ligand and nosylamide as the directing group. This reaction is applicable to styrene containing various electron-deficient and electron-donating substitutions and may be utilized for the synthesis of benzoazepine compounds.

Cascade reactions: a driving force in akuammiline alkaloid total synthesis

The akuammiline alkaloids are a family of intricate natural products which have received considerable attention from scientists worldwide. Despite the fact that many members of this alkaloid class were discovered over 50 years ago, synthetic chemistry has been unable to address their architectures until recently. This minireview provides a brief overview of the rich history of the akuammiline alkaloids, including their isolation, structural features, biological activity, and proposed biosyntheses. Furthermore, several recently completed total syntheses are discussed in detail. These examples not only serve to highlight modern achievements in alkaloid total synthesis, but also demonstrate how the molecular scaffolds of the akuammilines have provided inspiration for the discovery and implementation of innovative cascade reactions for the rapid assembly of complex structures.

Oxidative Coupling of Enolates, Enol Silanes and Enamines: Methods and Natural Product Synthesis

The oxidative coupling of enolates, enol silanes, and enamines provides a direct method for the construction of useful 1,4-dicarbonyl synthons. Despite being first reported in 1935, with subsequent important advances beginning in the 1970's, the development of this powerful reaction into a reliable methodology was somewhat limited. In recent years, there have been a number of reports from several research groups demonstrating advances in several neglected areas of oxidative coupling. This microreview summarizes these new advances in methodology and provides an overview of recent natural product syntheses that showcase the power of these transformations.

Scope and mechanism of direct indole and pyrrole couplings adjacent to carbonyl compounds: total synthesis of acremoauxin A and oxazinin 3

Full details are provided for a recently invented method to couple indoles and pyrroles to carbonyl compounds. The reaction is ideally suited for structurally complex substrates and exhibits high levels of chemoselectivity (functional group tolerability), regioselectivity (coupling occurs exclusively at C-3 of indole or C-2 of pyrrole), stereoselectivity (substrate control), and practicality (amenable to scaleup). In addition, quaternary stereocenters are easily and predictably generated. The reaction has been applied to a number of synthetic problems including total syntheses of members of the hapalindole family of natural products, ketorolac, acremoauxin A, and oxazinin 3. Mechanistically, this coupling protocol appears to operate by a single electron-transfer process requiring generation of an electron-deficient radical adjacent to a carbonyl which is then intercepted by an indole or pyrrole anion.

Cascade Reactions in Total Synthesis

The design and implementation of cascade reactions is a challenging facet of organic chemistry, yet one that can impart striking novelty, elegance, and efficiency to synthetic strategies. The application of cascade reactions to natural products synthesis represents a particularly demanding task, but the results can be both stunning and instructive. This Review highlights selected examples of cascade reactions in total synthesis, with particular emphasis on recent applications therein. The examples discussed herein illustrate the power of these processes in the construction of complex molecules and underscore their future potential in chemical synthesis.

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of Avrainvillamide and the Stephacidins

In this article, full details regarding our total synthesis of avrainvillamide and the stephacidins are presented. After an introduction and summary of prior synthetic studies in this family of structurally complex anticancer natural products, the evolution of a final synthetic approach is described. Thus, a thorough description of three separate model studies is provided for construction of the characteristic bicyclo[2.2.2]diazaoctane ring system common to these alkaloids. The first and second approaches sought to build the core using formal Diels-Alder and vinyl radical pathways, respectively. Although these strategies failed in their primary objective, they fostered the development of a new and mechanistically intriguing method for the synthesis of indolic enamides such as those found in numerous bioactive natural products. The scope and generality of this simple method for the direct dehydrogenation of tryptophan derivatives is described. Finally, details of a third and successful route to the core of these alkaloids are described which features oxidative C-C bond formation. Specifically, the first heterocoupling of two different types of carbonyl species (ester and amide) is accomplished in good yield, on a preparative scale, and with complete stereocontrol. The information gained in these model studies enabled an enantioselective total synthesis of stephacidin A. The absolute configuration of these alkaloids was firmly established in collaboration with Professor William Fenical. A full account of our successful efforts to convert stephacidin A into stephacidin B via avrainvillamide is presented. Finally, the first analogues of these natural products have been prepared and evaluated for anticancer activity.

Enantioselective Total Syntheses of Welwitindolinone A and Fischerindoles I and G

The first total syntheses of welwitindolinone A and the most complex members of the fischerindole family, fischerindoles I and G, are reported. Highlights of these short, protecting-group-free syntheses include the application of the recently developed direct indole-carbonyl coupling, a simple approach for installing the quaternary center with neighboring chlorine atom, a regioselective dehydrogenation/dehydration cascade to access fischerindole I, and a remarkably facile oxidative ring contraction to construct welwitindolinone A. An alternative biogenetic hypothesis, whose accuracy is suggested by the success of the current syntheses, is also put forth for this alkaloid family.