Pinacol Approach to the Eunicellane Skeleton

Mechanistic Insights into the Formation of the 6,10-Bicyclic Eunicellane Skeleton by the Bacterial Diterpene Synthase Bnd4

The eunicellane diterpenoids are a unique family of natural products seen in marine organisms, plants, and bacteria. We used a series of biochemical, bioinformatics, and theoretical experiments to investigate the mechanism of the first diterpene synthase known to form the eunicellane skeleton. Deuterium labeling studies and quantum chemical calculations support that Bnd4, from Streptomyces sp. (CL12-4), forms the 6,10-bicyclic skeleton through a 1,10-cyclization, 1,3-hydride shift, and 1,14-cyclization cascade. Bnd4 also demonstrated sesquiterpene cyclase activity and the ability to prenylate small molecules. Bnd4 possesses a unique D94 NxxxD motif and mutation experiments confirmed an absolute requirement for D94 as well as E169.

Reduction of Ethynylenes to Vinylenes in a Macrocyclic π-Extended Thiophene Skeleton Under McMurry Coupling Conditions

McMurry coupling is one of the most useful and convenient tools for the preparation of π-conjugated molecules. However, for the synthesis of strained macrocycles containing ethynylene linkages, reduction of ethynylene to vinylene linkage sometimes took place. Especially, for the synthesis of macrocyclic π-extended thiophene hexamers using McMurry coupling of dialdehyde 1 composed of three thienylene, two ethynylene, and two formyl groups, reduction of ethynylenes to vinylenes often takes place to produce unique products in a one-pot procedure, depending on very small steric and electronic effects such as reaction temperature, amounts of titanium reagent, and substituents of thiophene hexamers. The attractive structures and functional properties of reduced thiophene hexamers have been determined using X-ray analysis and OFET measurements.

Synthesis of eunicellane-type bicycles embedding a 1,3-cyclohexadiene moiety

The first synthesis of diterpenoid eunicellane skeletons incorporating a 1,3-cyclohexadiene moiety is presented. Key step is a low-valent titanium-induced pinacol cyclization that proved to be perfectly diastereoselective. Determination of the relative configuration of the diol was aided by the conversion to the diastereomer by oxidation and reduction. Conformational analysis of some of the resulting diols obtained under McMurry conditions was complicated by the presence of several conformers of similar energy. The pinacol coupling appears to start at the ketone, as indicated by the selective reduction of non-cyclizing cyclohexane systems that were synthesized from limonene oxide. The title compounds and their synthetic precursors are prone to aromatization on contact with air oxygen. Attempted synthesis of cyclohexene-containing eunicellane bicycles by elimination of water from tertiary alkynyl carbinols afforded novel allene systems. Our study may be of help towards the total synthesis of solenopodin or klysimplexin derivatives.

Synthetic and Organocatalytic Studies of Quinidine Analogues with Ring-Size Modifications in the Quinuclidine Moiety

Six highly enantiopure analogues of [2.2.2] were synthesized with five- or seven-membered rings in the (original) quinuclidine skeleton. Five of these compounds were prepared through epoxide opening by a secondary cyclic amine, providing the nor- and homoquinuclidine moieties through five- and six-membered ring formation. This method failed in the case of seven-membered ring formation, so for that particular ring size a different synthetic route starting from 3-quinuclidone was applied. The six novel analogues were examined as organocatalysts in four asymmetric conjugate addition reactions and the results compared with those of known cinchona alkaloid catalysts. This study shows that modification of the quinuclidine ring can have a substantial influence on catalyst activity and enantioselectivity. To acquire more insight into the characteristics of the new catalysts, the pKaH values were determined by means of fluorescence spectroscopy. Furthermore, relative reaction rates of conjugate thiol additions reactions catalyzed by these quinidine analogues were measured through polarimetry.

Selective and tunable synthesis of 3-arylsuccinimides and 3-arylmaleimides from arenediazonium tetrafluoroborates and maleimides

A highly efficient and tunable synthetic strategy for 3-arylsuccinimides or 3-arylmaleimides has been developed from arenediazonium tetrafluoroborates and maleimides with satisfactory yields in the presence of TiCl₃ or CuCl.