Total synthesis of sporolide B

Stereo-Controlled Synthesis of Vicinal Tertiary Carbinols: Application in the Synthesis of a Diol Substructure of Zaragozic Acid, Pactamycin and Ryanodol

A novel and flexible approach for the stereo-controlled synthesis of vicinal tertiary carbinols is reported. The developed strategy featured a highly diastereoselective singlet-oxygen (O2 1 ) [4+2] cycloaddition of rationally designed cyclohexadienones (derived from oxidative dearomatization of the corresponding carboxylic-acid appended phenol precursors), followed by programmed "O-O" and "C-C" bond cleavage. In doing so, a highly functionalized and versatile intermediate was identified and prepared in synthetically useful quantity as a plausible precursor to access a variety of designed and naturally occurring vicinal tertiary carbinol containing compounds. Most notably, the developed strategy was successfully applied in the stereo-controlled synthesis of advanced core structures of zaragozic acid, pactamycin and ryanodol.

Naturally Occurring Organohalogen Compounds-A Comprehensive Review

The present volume is the third in a trilogy that documents naturally occurring organohalogen compounds, bringing the total number-from fewer than 25 in 1968-to approximately 8000 compounds to date. Nearly all of these natural products contain chlorine or bromine, with a few containing iodine and, fewer still, fluorine. Produced by ubiquitous marine (algae, sponges, corals, bryozoa, nudibranchs, fungi, bacteria) and terrestrial organisms (plants, fungi, bacteria, insects, higher animals) and universal abiotic processes (volcanos, forest fires, geothermal events), organohalogens pervade the global ecosystem. Newly identified extraterrestrial sources are also documented. In addition to chemical structures, biological activity, biohalogenation, biodegradation, natural function, and future outlook are presented.

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (+)-Heilonine

Chemical transformations that rapidly and efficiently construct a high level of molecular complexity in a single step are perhaps the most valuable in total synthesis. Among such transformations is the transition metal catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloisomerization reaction, which forges three new C-C bonds and one or more rings in a single synthetic operation. We report here a strategy that leverages this transformation to open de novo access to the Veratrum family of alkaloids. The highly convergent approach described herein includes (i) the enantioselective synthesis of a diyne fragment containing the steroidal A/B rings, (ii) the asymmetric synthesis of a propargyl-substituted piperidinone (F ring) unit, (iii) the high-yielding union of the above fragments, and (iv) the intramolecular [2 + 2 + 2] cycloisomerization reaction of the resulting carbon framework to construct in a single step the remaining three rings (C/D/E) of the hexacyclic cevanine skeleton. Efficient late-stage maneuvers culminated in the first total synthesis of heilonine (1), achieved in 21 steps starting from ethyl vinyl ketone.

A Review: Halogenated Compounds from Marine Actinomycetes

Marine actinomycetes, Streptomyces species, produce a variety of halogenated compounds with diverse structures and a range of biological activities owing to their unique metabolic pathways. These halogenated compounds could be classified as polyketides, alkaloids (nitrogen-containing compounds) and terpenoids. Halogenated compounds from marine actinomycetes possess important biological properties such as antibacterial and anticancer activities. This review reports the sources, chemical structures and biological activities of 127 new halogenated compounds originated mainly from Streptomyces reported from 1992 to 2020.

Ruthenium-Catalyzed Cycloadditions to Form Five-, Six-, and Seven-Membered Rings

Ruthenium-catalyzed cycloadditions to form five-, six-, and seven-membered rings are summarized, including applications in natural product total synthesis. Content is organized by ring size and reaction type. Coverage is limited to processes that involve formation of at least one C-C bond. Processes that are stoichiometric in ruthenium or exploit ruthenium as a Lewis acid (without intervention of organometallic intermediates), ring formations that occur through dehydrogenative condensation-reduction, σ-bond activation-initiated annulations that do not result in net reduction of bond multiplicity, and photochemically promoted ruthenium-catalyzed cycloadditions are not covered.

Recent advances in total syntheses of natural products containing the benzocycloheptane motif

Covering: 2010 to 2020Benzocycloheptane is a fundamental and unique structural motif found in pharmaceuticals and natural products. The total syntheses of natural products bearing the benzocycloheptane subunit are challenging and there are only a few efficient approaches to access benzocycloheptane. Thus, new methods and innovative strategies for preparing such natural products need to be developed. In this review, recent progress in the total syntheses of natural products bearing the benzocycloheptane motif is presented, and key transformations for the construction of benzocycloheptane are highlighted. This review provides a useful guide for those engaged in the syntheses of natural products containing the benzocycloheptane motif.

Unconventional Macrocyclizations in Natural Product Synthesis

Over the past several decades, macrocyclic compounds have emerged as increasingly significant therapeutic candidates in drug discovery. Their pharmacological activity hinges on their rotationally restricted three-dimensional orientation, resulting in a unique conformational preorganization and a high enthalpic gain as a consequence of high-affinity macrocycle-protein binding interactions. Synthetic access to macrocyclic drug candidates is therefore crucial. From a synthetic point of view, the efficiency of macrocyclization events commonly suffers from entropic penalties as well as undesired intermolecular couplings (oligomerization). Although over the past several decades ring-closing metathesis, macrolactonization, or macrolactamization have become strategies of choice, the toolbox of organic synthesis provides a great number of versatile transformations beyond the aforementioned. This Outlook focuses on a selection of examples employing what we term unconventional macrocyclizations toward the synthesis of natural products or analogues.

Transition Metal-Catalyzed Reactions of Alkynyl Halides

BACKGROUND

Transition metal-catalyzed reactions of alkynyl halides are a versatile means of synthesizing a wide array of products. Their use is of particular interest in cycloaddition reactions and in constructing new carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds. Transition metal-catalyzed reactions of alkynyl halides have successfully been used in [4+2], [2+2], [2+2+2] and [3+2] cycloaddition reactions. Many carbon-carbon coupling reactions take advantage of metal-catalyzed reactions of alkynyl halides, including Cadiot-Chodkiewicz, Suzuki-Miyaura, Stille, Kumada-Corriu and Inverse Sonogashira reactions. All the methods of constructing carbon-nitrogen, carbon-oxygen, carbon-phosphorus, carbon-sulfur, carbon-silicon, carbon-selenium and carbon-tellurium bonds employed alkynyl halides.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this review is to highlight and summarize research conducted in transition metalcatalyzed reactions of alkynyl halides in recent years. The focus will be placed on cycloaddition and coupling reactions, and their scope and applicability to the synthesis of biologically important and industrially relevant compounds will be discussed.

CONCLUSION

It can be seen from the review that the work done on this topic has employed the use of many different transition metal catalysts to perform various cycloadditions, cyclizations, and couplings using alkynyl halides. The reactions involving alkynyl halides were efficient in generating both carbon-carbon and carbonheteroatom bonds. Proposed mechanisms were included to support the understanding of such reactions. Many of these reactions face retention of the halide moiety, allowing additional functionalization of the products, with some new products being inaccessible using their standard alkyne counterparts.

Synthesis of Four Illudalane Sesquiterpenes Utilizing a One-Pot Diels-Alder/Oxidative Aromatization Sequence

The concise, divergent total syntheses of four illudalane sesquiterpenes using an indanone as the key intermediate are reported. The key elements in these total syntheses, which involve only four to six operational steps, consist of a Suzuki cross-coupling and a one-pot Diels-Alder/oxidative aromatization reaction.

A convergent total synthesis of the kedarcidin chromophore: 20-years in the making

The kedarcidin chromophore is a formidible target for total synthesis. Herein, we describe a viable synthesis of this highly unstable natural product. This entailed the early introduction and gram-scale synthesis of 2-deoxysugar conjugates of both L-mycarose and L-kedarosamine. Key advances include: (1) stereoselective allenylzinc keto-addition to form an epoxyalkyne; (2) α-selective glycosylations with 2-deoxy thioglycosides (AgPF₆/DTBMP) and Schmidt donors (TiCl₄); (3) Mitsunobu aryl etherification to install a hindered 1,2-cis-configuration; (4) atropselective and convergent Sonogashira-Shiina cyclization sequence; (5) Ohfune-based amidation protocol for naphthoic acid; (6) Ce(III)-mediated nine-membered enediyne cyclization and ester/mesylate derivatisation; (7) SmI₂-based reductive olefination and global HF-deprotection end-game. The longest linear sequence from gram-scale intermediates is 17-steps, and HRMS data of the synthetic natural product was obtained for the first time.

Utilization of catecholic functionality in natural safrole and eugenol to synthesize mussel-inspired polymers

Naturally occurring safrole I upon epoxidation gave safrole oxide II, which underwent ring opening polymerization using a Lewis acid initiator/catalyst comprising of triphenylmethylphosphonium bromide/triisobutylaluminum to afford new polyether III in excellent yields. Epoxy monomer II and allyl glycidyl ether IV in various proportions have been randomly copolymerized to obtain copolymer V. A mechanism has been proposed for the polymerization reaction involving chain transfer to the monomers. A strategy has been developed for the deprotection of the methylene acetal of V using Pb(OAc)₄ whereby one of the methylene protons is replaced with a labile OAc group to give VI. The pendant allyl groups in VI have been elaborated via a thiol–ene reaction using cysteamine hydrochloride and thioglycolic acid to obtain cationic VII and anionic VIII polymers, both containing a mussel-inspired Dopa-based catechol moiety. During aqueous work up, the protecting group containing OAc was deprotected under mild conditions. Cationic VII and anionic VIII were also obtained via an alternate route using epoxide IX derived from 3,4-bis[tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy]allylbenzene. Monomer IX was homo- as well as copolymerized with IV using Lewis acid initiator/catalyst system to obtain homopolymer X and copolymer X1. Copolymer XI was then elaborated using a thiol–ene reaction followed by F⁻ catalysed silyl deprotection to obtain mussel inspired polymers VII and VIII, which by virtue of having charges of opposite algebraic signs were used to form their coacervate.

Naturally occurring safrole I upon epoxidation gave safrole oxide II, which underwent polymerization using a Lewis acid initiator/catalyst of triphenylmethylphosphonium bromide/triisobutylaluminum to afford new polyether III in excellent yields.

Stereoconfining macrocyclizations in the total synthesis of natural products

This review covers selected examples of point chirality-forming macrocyclizations in natural product total synthesis in the past three decades.

Amycolamycins A and B, Two Enediyne-Derived Compounds from a Locust-Associated Actinomycete

Two novel enediyne-derived natural products, amycolamycins A and B (1 and 2), were characterized from a locust-associated actinomycete Amycolatopsis sp. HCa4. Amycolamycins A and B contain a unique 2-(cyclopenta[a]inden-5-yl)oxirane core with suspected enediyne polyketide biosynthetic origin. Sequencing and analysis of the acm biosynthetic gene cluster allowed us to propose the biosynthetic pathway of 1 and 2. Moreover, amycolamycin A (1) was selectively cytotoxic to the M231 breast cancer cell line.

An efficient synthesis of gem-diiodoolefins and (E)-iodoalkenes from propargylic amides with a Cu(i)/Cu(iii) cycle

A copper-catalyzed cyclization/iodination reaction from propargylic amides to access gem-diiodoolefins and (E)-iodoalkenes has been developed.

Haloalkynes: a powerful and versatile building block in organic synthesis

Inspired by the need for green and sustainable chemistry, modern synthetic chemists have been seeking general and practical ways to construct complex molecules while maximizing atom economy and minimizing synthetic steps. Over the past few decades, considerable progress has been made to fulfill these goals by taking advantage of transition metal catalysis and chemical reagents with diverse and tunable reactivities. In recent years, haloalkynes have emerged as powerful and versatile building blocks in a variety of synthetic transformations, which can be generally conceived as a dual functionalized molecules, and different reaction intermediates, such as σ-acetylene-metal, π-acetylene-metal, and halovinylidene-metal complexes, can be achieved and undergo further transformations. Additionally, the halogen moieties can be retained during the reaction processes, which makes the subsequent structural modifications and tandem carbon-carbon or carbon-heteroatom bond formations possible. As a consequence, impressive effort has been devoted to this attractive area, and some elegant work has been done over the past several years. This Account highlights some of the recent progress on the development of efficient and practical synthetic methods involving haloalkyne reagents in our laboratory and in others around the world, which showcase the synthetic power of haloalkynes for rapid assembly of complex molecular structures. The focus is primarily on reaction development with haloalkynes, such as cross-coupling reactions, nucleophilic additions, and cycloaddition reactions. The designed approaches, as well as serendipitous observations, will be discussed with special emphasis placed on the mechanistic aspects and the synthetic utilities of the obtained products. These transformations can lead directly to heteroatom-containing products and introduce structural complexity rapidly, thus providing new strategies and quick access to a wide range of functionalized products including many synthetically useful conjugated cyclic and acyclic structures that have potential applications in natural product synthesis, materials science, and drug discovery. Importantly, most of these protocols allow multiple bond-forming events to occur in a single operation, thereby offering opportunities to advance chemical synthesis and address the increasing demands for economical and sustainable synthetic methods. We anticipate that a deep understanding of the properties of haloalkyne reagents and the underlying working mechanism can lead to the development of novel catalytic systems to answer the unsolved challenges in haloalkyne chemistry, which, in turn, may be also instructive for other research areas. We hope this Account will help to provide a guideline for researchers who are interested in this fertile area.

Total synthesis of the putative structure of xylarinol B

The total synthesis of the putative structure of xylarinol B is described and the need to revise its structure is demonstrated. The central benzoxepine skeleton was constructed by employing a cobalt-mediated bimolecular [2+2+2] Reppe-Vollhardt alkyne cycloaddition reaction.

The endeavor of total synthesis and its impact on chemistry, biology and medicine

The synthesis of urea in 1828 set in motion the discipline of organic synthesis in general and of total synthesis in particular, the art and science of synthesizing natural products, the molecules of living nature. Early endeavors in total synthesis had as their main objective the proof of structure of the target molecule. Later on, the primary goal became the demonstration of the power of synthesis to construct complex molecules through appropriately devised strategies, making the endeavor an achievement whose value was measured by its elegance and efficiency. While these objectives continue to be important, contemporary endeavors in total synthesis are increasingly focused on practical aspects, including method development, efficiency, and biological and medical relevance. In this article, the emergence and evolution of total synthesis to its present state is traced, selected total syntheses from the author's laboratories are highlighted, and projections for the future of the field are discussed.

Strepsesquitriol, a rearranged zizaane-type sesquiterpenoid from the deep-sea-derived actinomycete Streptomyces sp. SCSIO 10355

Strepsesquitriol, a new caged sesquiterpene, was isolated from Streptomyces sp. SCSIO 10355. Its absolute structure was established as (1R,2R,4S,5S,8S,10S)-4,9,9,10-tetramethyl-2,5,10-trihydroxytricyclo[6.2.1.0(1,5)]undecane by NMR analysis and a theoretical optical rotation derived from quantum-chemical calculations. It showed moderate inhibitory activity against lipopolysaccharide-induced TNFα production in RAW264.7 macrophages.

Convergent synthesis and structural confirmation of phellodonin and sarcodonin ε

The first synthesis of members of the sarcodonin family, phellodonin and sarcodonin ε, is reported herein. This verifies that the unprecedented and seemingly unstable N,N-dioxide-containing benzodioxazine framework can be constructed in the laboratory and lends further support to the proposed structures. The key step in the synthesis involves a biomimetic hetero-Diels-Alder reaction between a pyrazine N-oxide and an ortho-quinone.

3-(3,4-Dihydroisoquinolin-2(1H)-ylsulfonyl)benzoic Acids: highly potent and selective inhibitors of the type 5 17-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase AKR1C3

A high-throughput screen identified 3-(3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-2(1H)-ylsulfonyl)benzoic acid as a novel, highly potent (low nM), and isoform-selective (1500-fold) inhibitor of aldo-keto reductase AKR1C3: a target of interest in both breast and prostate cancer. Crystal structure studies showed that the carboxylate group occupies the oxyanion hole in the enzyme, while the sulfonamide provides the correct twist to allow the dihydroisoquinoline to bind in an adjacent hydrophobic pocket. SAR studies around this lead showed that the positioning of the carboxylate was critical, although it could be substituted by acid isosteres and amides. Small substituents on the dihydroisoquinoline gave improvements in potency. A set of "reverse sulfonamides" showed a 12-fold preference for the R stereoisomer. The compounds showed good cellular potency, as measured by inhibition of AKR1C3 metabolism of a known dinitrobenzamide substrate, with a broad rank order between enzymic and cellular activity, but amide analogues were more effective than predicted by the cellular assay.

When the nine-membered enediynes play hide and seek

The lack of stability of the 9-membered enediynes not associated with an apoprotein may explain the low number of isolated natural compounds containing this core. To overcome such a problem, particular attention should be paid during the process of extraction and isolation of secondary metabolites, especially from microorganisms such as actinomycetes in order to identify the non-cycloaromatized derivatives.

Constructing molecular complexity and diversity: total synthesis of natural products of biological and medicinal importance

The advent of organic synthesis and the understanding of the molecule as they occurred in the nineteenth century and were refined in the twentieth century constitute two of the most profound scientific developments of all time. These discoveries set in motion a revolution that shaped the landscape of the molecular sciences and changed the world. Organic synthesis played a major role in this revolution through its ability to construct the molecules of the living world and others like them whose primary element is carbon. Although the early beginnings of organic synthesis came about serendipitously, organic chemists quickly recognized its potential and moved decisively to advance and exploit it in myriad ways for the benefit of mankind. Indeed, from the early days of the synthesis of urea and the construction of the first carbon-carbon bond, the art of organic synthesis improved to impressively high levels of sophistication. Through its practice, today chemists can synthesize organic molecules--natural and designed--of all types of structural motifs and for all intents and purposes. The endeavor of constructing natural products--the organic molecules of nature--is justly called both a creative art and an exact science. Often called simply total synthesis, the replication of nature's molecules in the laboratory reflects and symbolizes the state of the art of synthesis in general. In the last few decades a surge in total synthesis endeavors around the world led to a remarkable collection of achievements that covers a wide ranging landscape of molecular complexity and diversity. In this article, we present highlights of some of our contributions in the field of total synthesis of natural products of biological and medicinal importance. For perspective, we also provide a listing of selected examples of additional natural products synthesized in other laboratories around the world over the last few years.

Synthesis of a new class of β-iodo N-alkenyl 2-pyridones

A new method for the synthesis of β-iodo N-alkenyl 2-pyridones from substituted 2-propargyloxypyridines has been discovered . These compounds present a unique complement of orthogonal functionality and structural characteristics that are unavailable via other routes. The ready access to these compounds renders them an important entry point for the preparation of more complex N-alkyl pyridone-containing targets.

1,2-Benzoquinones in Diels-Alder reactions, dipolar cycloadditions, nucleophilic additions, multicomponent reactions and more

A brief account of the recent developments in the chemistry of 1,2-benzoquinones is presented in this tutorial review. The title compounds exhibit commendable versatility in both Diels-Alder and dipolar cycloaddition reactions. They have also been employed as electrophilic reaction partners in nucleophile-triggered catalytic processes and related multicomponent reactions. These, along with other reactions described here, lead to the synthesis of densely functionalised carbocyclic and heterocyclic frameworks that are otherwise difficult to access.

Sporolide B: Synthetic Studies

Studies directed towards the synthesis of the architecturally complex marine natural product sporolide B are described. Synthetic analysis suggested advanced hydroquinone and benzodiquinane fragments, which upon elaboration were successfully united via an ester linkage. Macrocyclization studies were then carried out, and although a novel macrocyclization product was obtained, subsequent studies revealed that the tertiary hydroxyls at C(6) and C(10) were sterically encumbered to participate in a successful macrocyclization to furnish sporolide B.

Computationally designed and experimentally confirmed diastereoselective rhodium-catalyzed Pauson-Khand reaction at room temperature

The computational analysis of the rhodium-catalyzed Pauson-Khand reaction indicates that the key transition state is highly charge-polarized, wherein different diastereoisomers have distinctively different charge polarization patterns. Experimental studies demonstrate that chloro-enynes provide the optimal σ-electron-withdrawing group to promote polarization and thereby reduce the activation barrier to provide a highly diastereoselective reaction at room temperature.