Photochemical routes from arenes to inositol intermediates: The photo-oxidation of substituted cis-cyclohexa-3,5-diene-1,2-diols

Benzoate dioxygenase fromRalstonia eutrophaB9 – unusual regiochemistry of dihydroxylation permits rapid access to novel chirons

Oxidation of benzoic acid by a microorganism expressing benzoate dioxygenase leads to the formation of an unusualipso,orthoarenecis-diol in sufficient quantities to be useful for synthesis.

Synthesis and chemistry of 2,3-dioxabicyclo[2.2.2]octane-5,6-diols

1,4-Disubstituted 2,3-dioxabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-5-enes were dihydroxylated with osmium tetroxide to yield diols anti to the peroxide linkage in a highly selective manner. Reduction of the peroxide bond furnished cyclohexane-1,2,3,4-tetraols with toxocarol relative stereochemistry in excellent yield. This new methodology was employed to synthesize the natural product (1S,2R,3S,4R,5R)-2-methyl-5-(propan-2-yl)cyclohexane-1,2,3,4-tetrol (1) in a short sequence from (R)-alpha-phellandrene. Moreover, during the study of the chemistry of 2,3-dioxabicyclo[2.2.2]octane-5,6-diols a hitherto unknown rearrangement was discovered which has wide applicability for the synthesis of 1,4-dicarbonyls, including optically enriched synthons. A broad range of mechanistic investigations applicable to this rearrangement are also reported.

Total synthesis and biological evaluation of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids: narciclasine, ent-7-deoxypancratistatin, regioisomer of 7-deoxypancratistatin, 10b-epi-deoxypancratistatin, and truncated derivatives

Biocatalytic approaches have yielded efficient total syntheses of the major Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, all based on the key enzymatic dioxygenation of suitable aromatic precursors. This paper discusses the logic of general synthetic design for lycoricidine, narciclasine, pancratistatin, and 7-deoxypancratistatin. Experimental details are provided for the recently accomplished syntheses of narciclasine, ent-7-deoxypancratistatin, and 10b-epi-deoxypancratistatin via a new and selective opening of a cyclic sulfate over aziridines followed by aza-Payne rearrangement. The structural core of 7-deoxypancratistatin has also been degraded to a series of intermediates in which the amino inositol unit is cleaved and deoxygenated in a homologous fashion. These truncated derivatives and the compounds from the synthesis of the unnatural derivatives have been tested against six important human cancer cell lines in an effort to further develop the understanding of the mode of action for the most active congener in this group, pancratistatin. The results of the biological activity testing as well as experimental, spectral, and analytical data are provided in this manuscript for all relevant compounds.