A Diels–Alder strategy to 1,4-glycosidically linked monocarba-disaccharides

Asymmetric Synthesis of [2.2.2]-Bicyclic Lactones via All-Carbon Inverse-Electron-Demand Diels-Alder Reaction

In this paper, a new cycloaddition between α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and coumalates realized under dienamine activation has been described. The reaction proceeds regioselectively with the distal double bond of the dienamine system acting as electron-rich dienophile. It leads to the formation of biologically relevant [2.2.2]-bicyclic lactones. Their functionalization potential has been confirmed in selected, diastereoselective transformations.

Synthesis of the Bicyclic Lactone Core of Leonuketal, Enabled by a Telescoped Diels-Alder Reaction Sequence

The Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction has become established as a fundamental approach for the preparation of complex natural products; however, successful application of the intermolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction to the synthesis of particularly congested scaffolds remains surprisingly problematic. Inspired by the terpenoid spiroketal natural product leonuketal, a challenging telescoped reaction sequence has been realized to access the core [2.2.2]-bicyclic lactone ring system and its [3.2.1] isomer. Our four-step, protecting-group-free process required detailed investigation to circumvent the problems of adduct fragmentation and intermediate instability. Successful solution of these practical issues, along with unambiguous structural determination of the target structures, provide useful insights that will facilitate future applications of the Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction to challenging, highly congested molecular scaffolds and ongoing synthetic efforts towards this natural product.

Catalytic enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-platyphyllide and its structural revision

The catalytic asymmetric total synthesis of platyphyllide has been accomplished. A key highly substituted cyclohexene derivative has been obtained by the catalytic asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction of Danishefsky diene with an electron-deficient alkene. The Diels-Alder adduct was converted to a protected cyclohexane-1,3-dione in chiral form by catalytic Ito-Saegusa oxidation. Although the reported structure of platyphyllide was successfully synthesized, the optical rotation was opposite that of the natural compound. The absolute configuration of natural (-)-platyphyllide is revised to be a (6S,7S)-enantiomer.

A new, general method for the synthesis of carbasugar-sugar pseudodisaccharides

A general synthetic methodology for the synthesis of sugar-carbasugar pseudodisaccharides is described. The methodology is based on the cycloaddition of pyran-2-ones to vinylated sugars and the subsequent manipulation of the cycloadducts to construct the carbasugar component of the pseudodisaccharide.