The selective O-acylation of enolates providing a simple entry to O-enesters

Selective O-Acylation of Enol Silyl Ethers with Acyl Fluorides Catalyzed by Fluoride Ions Derived from Potassium Fluoride and 18-Crown-6

The fluoride ion-catalyzed selective O-acylation of enol silyl ethers with acyl fluorides using KF and 18-Crown-6 is described herein. This catalytic system facilitated the practical and facile reaction of a variety of enol silyl ethers derived from aromatic/aliphatic ketones and aldehydes with acyl fluorides to afford useful and valuable enol esters.

Synthetic Advantages of Defluorinative C-F Bond Functionalization

Much progress has been made in the development of methods to both create compounds that contain C-F bonds and to functionalize C-F bonds. As such, C-F bonds are becoming common and versatile synthetic functional handles. This review summarizes the advantages of defluorinative functionalization reactions for small molecule synthesis. The coverage is organized by the type of carbon framework the fluorine is attached to for mono- and polyfluorinated motifs. The main challenges, opportunities and advances of defluorinative functionalization are discussed for each class of organofluorine. Most of the text focuses on case studies that illustrate how defluorofunctionalization can improve routes to synthetic targets or how the properties of C-F bonds enable unique mechanisms and reactions. The broader goal is to showcase the opportunities for incorporating and exploiting C-F bonds in the design of synthetic routes, improvement of specific reactions and advent of new methods.

Making natural products from renewable feedstocks: back to the roots?

This review highlights the utilization of biomass-derived building blocks in the total synthesis of natural products.

Synthesis of (E,Z)-1-alkoxy-3-acyloxy-2-methylpenta-1,3-dienes via Danishefsky-type dienes or O-acylation of enones

1-Alkoxy-2-methyl-3-acyloxy-(E,E)-penta-1,3-dienes have been prepared applying among others a modified Danishefsky's general method, including chiral, racemic, and achiral derivatives.

Total Syntheses of Yingzhaosu A and of Its C(14)-Epimer Including the First Evaluation of Their Antimalarial and Cytotoxic Activities

[reaction: see text] The molecular structure of the naturally occurring antimalarial agent yingzhaosu A (1) is characterized by a 2,3-dioxabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane system (3a), an allylic alcohol, a homoallylic alcohol, and five stereogenic centers. Herein we report on the total synthesis of yingzhaosu A (1) in eight steps and 7.3% overall yield starting from (S)-limonene (12). To maximize efficacy, the bridged bicyclic endoperoxide molecular core was constructed by a multicomponent free-radical domino reaction in which five bonds are formed in a single operation. In addition, reaction protocols that are compatible with the sensitivity of the peroxide function to strong basic and nucleophilic reagents as well as to reducing agents were employed. An intriguing step involved the selective hydrogenation of a carbon-carbon double bond in the presence of a peroxide and an aldehyde function to give aldehyde peroxide 7. The two major synthons (aldehydoperoxide 7 and its complementary five-carbon atom unit 35) were linked through a Mukaiyama aldol reaction followed by in situ dehydration under mild buffered basic conditions. The carbonyl group in the resulting peroxidic enone 39 was stereoselectively reduced with either R-CBS catalyst (42b) to give, after in situ desilylation, yingzhaosu A (1) or with S-CBS catalyst (42a) its C(14)-epimer 40. The first quantitative in vitro and in vivo data for the antimalarial activity of yingzhaosu A (1) and its C(14)-epimer 40 are reported. The C(14)-epiyingzhaosu A (40) exhibits potent cytotoxic activity against the KB nasal-pharyngeal cancer cell line in vitro.

Expeditious Asymmetric Synthesis of a Stereoheptad Corresponding to the C(19)-C(27)-Ansa Chain of Rifamycins: Formal Total Synthesis of Rifamycin S

In the presence of sulfur dioxide and an acid promoter, (-)-(1E,3Z)-2-methyl-1-((1S)-1-phenylethoxy)penta-1,3-dien-3-yl isobutyrate reacts with (Z)-3-(trimethylsilyloxy)pent-2-ene giving a silyl sulfinate intermediate that undergoes, in the presence of palladium catalyst, a desilylation and retro-ene elimination of SO(2) with formation of (-)-(1Z,2S,3R,4S)-1-ethylidene-2,4-dimethyl-5-oxo-3-((1S)-1-phenylethoxy)-heptyl isobutyrate as major product. This ethyl ketone undergoes cross-aldol reaction with (2S)-2-methyl-3-[(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)oxy]propanal giving an aldol that is reduced into a stereoheptad corresponding to the C(19)-C(27)-segment of Rifamycins with high diastereoselectivity and enantiomeric excess.

Development of a new carbon-carbon bond forming reaction. new organic chemistry of sulfur dioxide. Asymmetric four-component synthesis of polyfunctional sulfones

At low temperature 1-alkoxy-1,3-dienes add to sulfur dioxide activated by a Lewis or Brønstedt acid and generate zwitterionic intermediates that can be quenched by enoxysilanes. The resulting beta,gamma-unsaturated silyl sulfinates can be desilylated and reacted with methyl iodide to provide polyfunctional sulfones. Exploratory studies of this four-component synthesis of sulfones are reported. Enantiomerically pure derivatives containing up to three new stereogenic centers can be obtained using enantiomerically pure (E,E)-1-alkoxy-2-methylpenta-1,3-dienes derived from alpha-methyl benzyl alcohols, including the Greene's chiral auxiliary. The stereochemistry of the reactions is consistent with a mechanism involving the suprafacial hetero-Diels-Alder addition of sulfur dioxide to the 1-alkoxy-1,3-dienes that are rapidly ionized into zwitterionic intermediates.

Synthesis of (+)-casuarine

The first synthesis of (+)-casuarine ((+)-6), a pentahydroxy pyrrolizidine alkaloid of the alexine/australine subclass, is described. The key step is a tandem [4 + 2]/[3 + 2] nitroalkene cycloaddition involving nitrobenzoate 13, chiral vinyl ether 16c, and vinyl silane 10, which establishes five of the six stereocenters present in this potent glycosidase inhibitor. The completion of the synthesis requires only four additional steps to deliver the final product in 20% overall yield.

Synthesis of (+)-casuarine

[formula: see text] The first synthesis of (+)-casuarine, a pentahydroxy pyrrolizidine alkaloid, is described. The key bond-forming events occur in a tandem [4 + 2]/[3 + 2] nitroalkene cycloaddition involving nitroalkene 6, chiral vinyl ether 7b, and vinyl silane 4. This process also creates five of the six stereocenters present in this potent glycosidase inhibitor. Completion of the synthesis required only four additional steps and delivered (+)-casuarine in 20% overall yield.

A Selective Catalytic Method of Enol-acetylation under Microwave Irradiation

Six-membered cyclic ketones on treatment with acetic anhydride and a catalytic amount of iodine under microwave irradiation give the corresponding enol acetates in good yield.