An efficient approach toward pyrrolidinyllactone system characteristic of the Stemona alkaloids. Lewis acid catalyzed stereoselective reaction of N-benzyloxycarbonyl-2-methoxypyrrolidine with 3-methyl-2-trimethylsilyloxyfuran

Sequential Selective C-H and C(sp3 )-+ P Bond Functionalizations: An Entry to Bioactive Arylated Scaffolds

Organophosphonium salts containing C(sp³ )-⁺ P bonds are among the most utilized reagents in organic synthesis for constructing C-C double bonds. However, their use as C-selective electrophilic groups is rare. Here, we explore an efficient and general transition-metal-free method for sequential chemo- and regioselective C-H and C(sp³ )-⁺ P bond functionalizations. In the present study, C-H alkylation resulting in the synthesis of benzhydryl triarylphosphonium salts was achieved by one-pot, four-component cross-coupling reactions of simple and commercially available starting materials. The utility of the resulting phosphonium salt building blocks was demonstrated by the chemoselective post-functionalization of benzylic C(sp³ )-⁺ PPh₃ groups to achieve aminations, thiolations, and arylations. In this way, benzhydrylamines, benzhydrylthioethers, and triarylmethanes, structural motifs that are present in many pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, are readily accessed. These include the synthesis of two anticancer agents from simple materials in only two to three steps. Additionally, a protocol for late-stage functionalization of bioactive drugs has been developed using benzhydrylphosphonium salts. This new approach should provide novel transformations for application in both academic and pharmaceutical research.

A protecting group free synthesis of (+/-)-neostenine via the [5 + 2] photocycloaddition of maleimides

A concise, linear synthesis of the Stemona alkaloid (+/-)-neostenine is reported. Key features include an organocopper-mediated bislactone C2-desymmetrization for the stereoselective construction of the cyclohexane-lactone C,D-rings. The assembly of the fused pyrrolo[1,2-a]azepine core was achieved by application of a [5 + 2] maleimide photocycloaddition. A custom FEP flow reactor was used to successfully overcome the scale limitations imposed by a classical immersion well batch reactor. The synthesis was completed in 14 steps from furan, in 9.5% overall yield, without the use of any protecting groups.

Syntheses of the Stemona alkaloids (+/-)-stenine, (+/-)-neostenine, and (+/-)-13-epineostenine using a stereodivergent Diels-Alder/azido-Schmidt reaction

A tandem Diels-Alder/azido-Schmidt reaction sequence provides rapid access to the core skeleton shared by several Stemona alkaloids including stenine, neostenine, tuberostemonine, and neotuberostemonine. The discovery and evolution of inter- and intramolecular variations of this process and their applications to total syntheses of (+/-)-stenine and (+/-)-neostenine are described. The stereochemical outcome of the reaction depends on both substrate type and reaction conditions, enabling the preparation of both (+/-)-stenine and (+/-)-neostenine from the same diene/dienophile combination.

An approach to the synthesis of stenine

A type 2 N-acylnitroso intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction followed by reductive N-O bond cleavage formed the B and C rings of the Stemona alkaloid stenine. Further elaboration provided the functionalized tricyclic core.

Toward Improving the Chemistry of N-Acyliminium Ions: Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions of Pyrrolidinone Derivatives with Trialkylsilyl Nucleophiles Catalyzed by Triisopropylsilyltrifluoromethane Sulfonate (TIPSOTf)

[reaction: see text] Nucleophilic substitution reactions of racemic and chiral 5-acetoxy-, 5-ethoxy-, and 5-methoxypyrrolidin-2-ones by silicon-based nucleophiles were efficiently catalyzed by TIPSOTf. This process was found to be general and accommodates a broad range of substrate-nucleophile combinations.

Stereocontrolled total synthesis of the Stemona alkaloid (-)-stenine

The Stemona alkaloid stenine (1), isolated from Stemona tuberosa of physiologically active stemonaceous plants, possesses the structurally novel and unique azepinoindole skeleton (B,C,D-ring system). We have achieved the asymmetric total synthesis of (-)-stenine (1), starting from 1,5-pentanediol (10). The key features are an intramolecular diastereoselective Diels-Alder reaction of the (E,E,E) triene 6, prepared in a convergent fashion from three components--dienyl chloride 7, dithiane 8, and chiral phosphonate 9--and efficient construction of the tricyclic A,B,D-ring system 29 through thermodynamically controlled regioselective enolization of the bicyclic ketone 25. In this article, we describe in detail the highly stereocontrolled total synthesis of (-)-stenine (1). These results should be useful for the asymmetric total synthesis of another, more complex. molecule: tuberostemonine (2), the synthesis of which has never been reported.