α,ω-Functionalized 2,4-Dimethylpentane Dyads and 2,4,6-Trimethylheptane Triads through Asymmetric Hydrogenation

Tunable Strategy for the Asymmetric Synthesis of Sulfoglycolipids from Mycobacterium tuberculosis To Elucidate the Structure and Immunomodulatory Property Relationships

We developed a versatile asymmetric strategy to synthesize different classes of sulfoglycolipids (SGLs) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The strategy features the use of asymmetrically protected trehaloses, which were acquired from the glycosylation of TMS α-glucosyl acceptors with benzylidene-protected thioglucosyl donors. The positions of the protecting groups at the donors and acceptors can be fine-tuned to obtain different protecting-group patterns, which is crucial for regioselective acylation and sulfation. In addition, a chemoenzymatic strategy was established to prepare the polymethylated fatty acid building blocks. The strategy employs inexpensive lipase as a desymmetrization agent in the preparation of the starting substrate and readily available chiral oxazolidinone as a chirality-controlling agent in the construction of the polymethylated fatty acids. A subsequent investigation on the immunomodulatory properties of each class of SGLs showed how the structures of SGLs impact the host innate immunity response.

Reducing Challenges in Organic Synthesis with Stereoselective Hydrogenation and Tandem Catalysis

Tandem catalysis enables the rapid construction of complex architectures from simple building blocks. This Perspective shares our interest in combining stereoselective hydrogenation with transformations such as isomerization, oxidation, and epimerization to solve diverse challenges. We highlight the use of tandem hydrogenation for preparing complex natural products from simple prochiral building blocks and present tandem catalysis involving transfer hydrogenation and dynamic kinetic resolution. Finally, we underline recent breakthroughs and opportunities for asymmetric hydrogenation.

Short Enantioselective Total Synthesis of Tatanan A and 3-epi-Tatanan A Using Assembly-Line Synthesis

Short and highly stereoselective total syntheses of the sesquilignan natural product tatanan A and its C3 epimer are described. An assembly-line synthesis approach, using iterative lithiation-borylation reactions, was applied to install the three contiguous stereocenters with high enantio- and diastereoselectivity. One of the stereocenters was installed using a configurationally labile lithiated primary benzyl benzoate, resulting in high levels of substrate-controlled (undesired) diastereoselectivity. However, reversal of selectivity was achieved by using a novel diastereoselective Matteson homologation. Stereospecific alkynylation of a hindered secondary benzylic boronic ester enabled completion of the synthesis in a total of eight steps.

Highly Efficient, Convergent, and Enantioselective Synthesis of Phthioceranic Acid

A new strategy for highly concise, convergent, and enantioselective access to polydeoxypropionates has been developed. ZACA-Pd-catalyzed vinylation was used to prepare smaller deoxypropionate fragments, and then two key sequential Cu-catalyzed stereocontrolled sp(3)-sp(3) cross-coupling reactions allowed convergent assembly of smaller building blocks to build-up long polydeoxypropionate chains with excellent stereoselectivity. We employed this strategy for the synthesis of phthioceranic acid, a key constituent of the cell-wall lipid of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, in just 8 longest linear steps with full stereocontrol.

Asymmetric Hydrogenation Routes to Deoxypolyketide Chirons

Asymmetric hydrogenations of monoenes and dienes were performed to obtain terminal deoxypolyketide fragments A and the corresponding internal chirons B and C. The chiral N-heterocyclic carbene catalyst 1 was used throughout. Modest selectivities for hydrogenations of simple monoenes relayed into high selectivities for preparations of the terminal deoxypolyketide fragments in which either two hydrogenations or one and an optically pure starting material were used. Curiously, the face selectivities for hydrogenation of alpha,beta-unsaturated esters were consistently opposite to those that had been observed for styrene and stilbene derivatives in previous work, and to closely related allylic alcohol and ether derivatives in this work. Plausible mechanisms for this differing behavior were deduced by using DFT calculations. It appears that the origin of the unusual stereoselectivity for the ester derivatives is transient metal-coordination of the ester carbonyl whereas there is no evidence that the allylic alcohol or ethers coordinate. The routes developed to alpha,omega-functionalized internal deoxypolyketide fragments are extremely practical. These begin with the Roche ester being converted into alkene and, in one case, diene derivatives. Catalyst control prevails in the hydrogenations of these substrates, but there is a significant "substrate vector" (a term we used to describe the influence of the substrate on a catalyst-controlled reaction). This is determined by minimization of 1,3-allylic strain and, in some cases, syn pentane interactions. This substrate vector can be constructively paired with the (dominant) catalyst vector by use of the appropriate enantiomer of 1. In the hydrogenation of a diene derivative, two chiral centers could be formed simultaneously with overall 11:1.0 selectivity; this is the first time this has been achieved in any asymmetric synthesis of a deoxypolyketide fragment. Throughout, diastereoselectivities of the crude material in the syntheses of alpha,omega-functionalized internal deoxypolyketide fragments were in excess of 11:1.0 and chromatographically purified samples could be isolated in high yields with dr (dr=diastereomeric ratio) values consistently in excess of 40:1.0.