Alkynes From Furans: A General Fragmentation Method Applied to the Synthesis of the Proposed Structure of Aglatomin B

Biogenesis-Guided Synthesis and Structural Revision of Sarocladione Enabled by Ruthenium-Catalyzed Endoperoxide Fragmentation

Sarocladione is the first 5,10:8,9-diseco-steroid with a 14-membered macrocyclic diketone framework to have been isolated from a natural source. Herein we report a biomimetic synthesis of sarocladione in only two or seven steps from inexpensive, commercially available ergosterol. The key feature of this synthesis was a novel ruthenium-catalyzed endoperoxide fragmentation, which transformed various saturated endoperoxides into olefinic diketones by cleavage of two C-C bonds. This synthesis allowed us to unambiguously determine the structure of sarocladione and provided experimental support for its revised biosynthetic origin. This work also vividly demonstrates that consideration of the biogenesis is a powerful tool for elucidating the structures of natural products.

Visible light-mediated applications of methylene blue in organic synthesis

This review presents the manipulation of methylene blue in visible-light-assisted organic synthesis.

Alkynogenic fragmentation

Fragmentation reactions that generate alkynes in conjunction with C–C bond cleavage require special considerations but can produce high-value alkyne building blocks for organic synthesis.