Diastereoselective allylation of N-glyoxyloyl-(2R)-bornane-10,2-sultam and (1R)-8-phenylmenthyl glyoxylate: synthesis of (2S,4S)-2-hydroxy-4-hydroxymethyl-4-butanolide

Screening of Secondary Metabolites Produced by Nigrospora sphaerica Associated with the Invasive Weed Cenchrus ciliaris Reveals Two New Structurally Related Compounds

In the search for new alternative biocontrol strategies, phytopathogenic fungi could represent a new frontier for weed management. In this respect, as part of our ongoing work aiming at using fungal pathogens as an alternative to common herbicides, the foliar pathogen Nigrospora sphaerica has been evaluated to control buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris). In particular, in this work, the isolation and structural elucidation of two new biosynthetically related metabolites, named nigrosphaeritriol (3-(hydroxymethyl)-2-methylpentane-1,4-diol) and nigrosphaerilactol (3-(1-hydroxyethyl)-4-methyltetrahydrofuran-2-ol), from the phytotoxic culture filtrate extract were described, along with the identification of several known metabolites. Moreover, the absolute stereochemistry of (3R,4S,5S)-nigrosphaerilactone, previously reported as (3S,4R,5R)-4-hydroxymethyl-3,5-dimethyldihydro-2-furanone, was determined for the first time by X-ray diffraction analysis. Considering their structural relationship, the determination of the absolute stereochemistry of nigrosphaerilactone allowed us to hypothesize the absolute stereochemistry of nigrosphaeritriol and nigrosphaerilactol.

Stereoselective α-Hydroxylation of Amides Using Oppolzer's Sultam as Chiral Auxiliary

An Oppolzer's sultam-based highly stereoselective α-hydroxylation of amides was developed to deliver the desired products in good yield and excellent diastereoselectivity (>20/1). The generally crystalline products and the recyclability of the chiral auxiliary illustrate the practicability and scalability of the current approach.