Enantioselective synthesis of (−)-velbanamine and (+)-isovelbanamine using L-glutamic acid as chiral template

Total synthesis of (±)-20S-hydroxy-1,2-dehydro-pseudoaspidospermidine via a C–H activation/transannular cyclization strategy

A total synthesis to the pseudoaspidospermidine family via a C–H activation/transannular cyclization strategy has been accomplished.

Study on the total synthesis of velbanamine: Chemoselective dioxygenation of alkenes with PIFA via a stop-and-flow strategy

A "stop-and-flow" strategy was developed for the chemoselective dioxygenation of alkenes with a PIFA-initiated cyclization. This method is conceived for the desymmetrization of seco-diene, and a series of substituted 5-hydroxymethyl-γ-lactones were constructed after hydrolysis. This strategy also differentiates terminally substituted alkenes and constitutes a potentially novel synthetic approach for the efficient synthesis toward velbanamine.

Toward the synthesis of didemnaketal B: a convergent synthesis of the C9-C28 subunit

Synthesis of the C9-C28 subunit of didemnaketal B has been developed. This subunit was convergently prepared from four chiral synthons and at the longest linear sequence required 16 steps.

A Theoretical Study on the Origin of π-Facial Stereoselectivity in the Alkylation of Enolates Derived from 4-Substituted γ-Butyrolactones

The alkylation of 4-methoxymethyl-gamma-butyrolactone enolate with methyl chloride was studied at the B3LYP/6-31+G* level. Conformer search of the free enolate gave 15 unique conformers within 5.39 kcal/mol. The transition structures for both anti- and syn-attacks of methyl chloride on these 15 conformers were located. In all cases, the anti-transition structures are more stable than the corresponding syn-ones. The alkylation of gamma-valerolactone was studied at the MP2, B3LYP, and HF levels of theory with the 6-31+G* basis set in the presence of Li+ and dimethyl ether molecules. Basis set effects were also examined by the comparison of the MP2 results with the 6-31+G*, 6-31+G**, and 6-311+G** basis sets in one case. This study shows that the main source of the anti-selectivity of 4-substituted gamma-butyrolactones is eclipsing strain in the syn-transition structures.