A convergent total synthesis of (+)-anamarine from (R,R)-tartrate and D-gulonolactone

The scientific legacy of Frieder W. Lichtenthaler

This article presents a selection of topics from Professor Frieder W. Lichtenthaler's scientific lifework. It describes his contributions to, and further development of, the nitromethane cyclization of dialdehydes leading to amino sugars and amino nucleosides, as well as a new coupling methodology for purine nucleosides. A number of chiral building blocks derived from sugars like the "sugar enolones," enollactones, hydroxyhexenals, and their synthetic applications in natural product syntheses are covered. The article further describes the chemistry of "ulosyl bromides" and their glycosidation reactions, including those with bifunctional acceptors, which led to the synthesis of spectinomycin and gomphoside. Lichtenthaler's work on the preparation of synthetically useful building blocks from disaccharides that are readily available in bulk quantities, and his studies on the reactivity, as well as the selective O-functionalization of sucrose, higher oligosaccharides, and cyclodextrins based on computer simulations, are highlighted. The article also presents his research on the syntheses of chiral building blocks from readily available ketoses and their synthetic applications. Finally the chapter concludes with his significant contributions in the field of the history of carbohydrate chemistry.

De Novo Asymmetric Synthesis of Anamarine and Its Analogues

[reaction: see text] The enantioselective synthesis of anamarine has been achieved in 21 steps. The route relies on enantio- and regioselective Sharpless dihydroxylation of dienoate ester and zinc borohydride reduction to establish the C-8-C-11 stereochemistry. A diastereoselective Leighton allylation established the desired C-5 stereochemistry. The route has also been used to prepare two diastereoisomers of anamarine in 14 steps.

Enantioselective Synthesis of 10-epi-Anamarine via an Iterative Dihydroxylation Sequence

[reaction: see text] The enantioselective syntheses of 10-epi-anamarine and 5,10-epi,epi-anamarine have been achieved in 13 to 14 steps. The route relies upon an enantio- and regioselective Sharpless dihydroxylation of either dienoates or trienoates to establish the C-8 to C-11 stereochemistry. A diastereoselective Leighton allylation established the desired C-5 stereochemistry. The route also relies upon a ring-closing metathesis to establish the alpha,beta-unsaturated lactones.

Stereoselective synthesis and determination of the cytotoxic properties of spicigerolide and three of its stereoisomers

Stereoselective syntheses of the naturally occurring, cytotoxic lactone spicigerolide and three nonnatural stereoisomers thereof are described. The commercially available sugar l-rhamnose was in all cases the chiral starting material. Key steps in each of these syntheses were asymmetric Brown allylations and ring-closing metatheses. The cytotoxic activities of the four lactones against a range of tumoral lines were then determined.