Enantioselective synthesis of (−)-lasubine II

Enantiodivergent Approach to the Synthesis of Cis-2,6-Disubstituted Piperidin-4-ones

Enantiopure β-amino ketone derivatives were synthesized by decarboxylative Mannich reaction of chiral N- tert-butanesulfinyl imines with β-keto acids and were subsequently transformed into cis-2,6-disubstituted piperidin-4-ones through an organocatalyzed condensation with aldehydes. Both enantiomers were accessible from the same precursors by inverting the order in the reaction sequence of the aldehydes involved in the imine formation and the intramolecular Mannich condensation. The synthesis of the piperidine alkaloids (+)-241D, (-)-epimyrtine, and (-)-lasubine II demonstrated the utility of this methodology.

Synthesis of (±)-Lasubine II Using N-Methoxyamines

The synthesis of (±)-lasubine II has been achieved through a three-component allylation capitalizing on the unique properties of N-methoxyamines. This reaction enabled the installation of all the carbon atoms of lasubine II in a single operation. The N-methoxy group was efficiently used for the subsequent nitrone formation. A single-step cyclization of isoxazolidines or N-methoxyamines to form functionalized piperidine rings was also developed.

Formal Synthesis of (+)-Lasubine II and (-)-Subcosine II via Organocatalytic Michael Addition of a Ketone to an α-Nitrostyrene

The first examples of an organocatalytic Michael addition of a ketone to in situ generated α-nitrostyrenes are reported. A suitably functionalized γ-nitroketone obtained from the organocatalyzed Michael addition was converted into (+)-2-epi-lasubine II, the immediate synthetic precursor of (+)-lasubine II and (-)-subcosine II (enantiomers of the natural quinolizidine alkaloids). Two of the three stereocenters in (+)-2-epi-lasubine II are set by the Michael reaction.

Simple Indolizidine and Quinolizidine Alkaloids

This review of simple indolizidine and quinolizidine alkaloids (i.e., those in which the parent bicyclic systems are in general not embedded in polycyclic arrays) is an update of the previous coverage in Volume 55 of this series (2001). The present survey covers the literature from mid-1999 to the end of 2013; and in addition to aspects of the isolation, characterization, and biological activity of the alkaloids, much emphasis is placed on their total synthesis. A brief introduction to the topic is followed by an overview of relevant alkaloids from fungal and microbial sources, among them slaframine, cyclizidine, Steptomyces metabolites, and the pantocins. The important iminosugar alkaloids lentiginosine, steviamine, swainsonine, castanospermine, and related hydroxyindolizidines are dealt with in the subsequent section. The fourth and fifth sections cover metabolites from terrestrial plants. Pertinent plant alkaloids bearing alkyl, functionalized alkyl or alkenyl substituents include dendroprimine, anibamine, simple alkaloids belonging to the genera Prosopis, Elaeocarpus, Lycopodium, and Poranthera, and bicyclic alkaloids of the lupin family. Plant alkaloids bearing aryl or heteroaryl substituents include ipalbidine and analogs, secophenanthroindolizidine and secophenanthroquinolizidine alkaloids (among them septicine, julandine, and analogs), ficuseptine, lasubines, and other simple quinolizidines of the Lythraceae, the simple furyl-substituted Nuphar alkaloids, and a mixed quinolizidine-quinazoline alkaloid. The penultimate section of the review deals with the sizable group of simple indolizidine and quinolizidine alkaloids isolated from, or detected in, ants, mites, and terrestrial amphibians, and includes an overview of the "dietary hypothesis" for the origin of the amphibian metabolites. The final section surveys relevant alkaloids from marine sources, and includes clathryimines and analogs, stellettamides, the clavepictines and pictamine, and bis(quinolizidine) alkaloids.

Ultrasound-assisted aza-Michael reaction in water: a green procedure

The conjugate addition of amines to conjugated alkenes (commonly known as aza-Michael reaction) constitutes a key step for the synthesis of various complex natural products, antibiotics, α-amino alcohols and chiral auxiliaries. Ultrasound-induced addition of several amines to α, β-unsaturated ketones, esters and nitriles has been carried out very efficiently in water as well as under solvent-free conditions. No catalysts or solid supports have been used in this method. Remarkable enhancement of reaction rate has been observed in water under ultrasound-induced method. This environmentally benign procedure has provided clean formation of the products with better selectivity.