Chromium(II) mediated threo selective synthesis of homoallyl alcohols

Strategies and Mechanisms of First-Row Transition Metal-Regulated Radical C-H Functionalization

Radical C-H functionalization represents a useful means of streamlining synthetic routes by avoiding substrate preactivation and allowing access to target molecules in fewer steps. The first-row transition metals (Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu) are Earth-abundant and can be employed to regulate radical C-H functionalization. The use of such metals is desirable because of the diverse interaction modes between first-row transition metal complexes and radical species including radical addition to the metal center, radical addition to the ligand of metal complexes, radical substitution of the metal complexes, single-electron transfer between radicals and metal complexes, hydrogen atom transfer between radicals and metal complexes, and noncovalent interaction between the radicals and metal complexes. Such interactions could improve the reactivity, diversity, and selectivity of radical transformations to allow for more challenging radical C-H functionalization reactions. This review examines the achievements in this promising area over the past decade, with a focus on the state-of-the-art while also discussing existing limitations and the enormous potential of high-value radical C-H functionalization regulated by these metals. The aim is to provide the reader with a detailed account of the strategies and mechanisms associated with such functionalization.

Chromium Catalyzed Asymmetric Reformatsky Reaction

This study describes an unprecedented chromium-catalyzed asymmetric Reformatsky reaction, enabling the synthesis of chiral β-hydroxy carbonyl compounds from α-chlorinated or α-brominated esters and amides. By employing a chiral chromium/diarylamine bis(oxazoline) catalyst, we achieved relatively broad functional group tolerance. Distinct from known reports, the protocol operates under both classical and photoredox conditions, facilitated by the in situ formation of a nucleophilic chiral chromium intermediate through a radical-polar crossover mechanism. Preliminary mechanistic insights, supported by DFT calculations, identify the nucleophilic aldehyde addition as the key stereo-determining step. This approach not only overcomes the limitations of existing Reformatsky reactions but also provides a versatile strategy for accessing complex chiral molecules.

Recent advances in the syntheses of guaianolides

Sesquiterpene lactones, especially guaianolides representing a bigger class of natural products, have served as appealing candidates for total synthesis due to their varied bio- and pharmaceutical activities. This tutorial review delineates the creative efforts of many researchers in the total syntheses of different complex guaianolides recently published in the literature. Many of the syntheses display meticulous interplay between new methods and the ingenuity of strategies achieved through well-planned routes. In some cases, the Chiron approach has come in quite handy, wherein the structural features and stereochemistry of select molecules could map well with naturally available starting materials. A few catalytic methods like diastereoselective aldol reaction, enediyne or dienyne metathesis, or photochemical methods have been efficiently used. This compilation also aims to enhance the diversity space based on these natural products and further interest in the sustainable total synthesis of this class of compounds and related molecules.

Organic Chemistry and Synthesis Rely More and More upon Catalysts

A few months before the COVID-19 pandemic, Pierre Vogel and Kendall N. Houk published with a new textbook Wiley-VCH, “Organic Chemistry: Theory, Reactivity, and Mechanisms in Modern Synthesis”, with a foreword from the late Roberts H. Grubbs. The book demonstrates how catalytic processes dominate all fields of modern organic chemistry and synthesis, and how invention combines thermodynamics, kinetics, spectroscopy, quantum mechanics, and thermochemical data libraries. Here, the authors present a few case studies that should be of interest to teachers, practitioners of organic and organometallic chemistry, and the engineers of molecules. The Vogel–Houk book is both textbook and reference manual; it provides a modern way to think about chemical reactivity and a powerful toolbox to inventors of new reactions and new procedures.

Organic thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) compounds used in photocatalysis

Organic compounds that show Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence (TADF) have become wildly popular as next-generation emitters in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). Since 2016, a subset of these have found increasing use as photocatalysts. This review comprehensively highlights their potential by documenting the diversity of the reactions where an organic TADF photocatalyst can be used in lieu of a noble metal complex photocatalyst. Beyond the small number of TADF photocatalysts that have been used to date, the analysis conducted within this review reveals the wider potential of organic donor-acceptor TADF compounds as photocatalysts. A discussion of the benefits of compounds showing TADF for photocatalysis is presented, which paints a picture of a very promising future for organic photocatalyst development.

Expanding the antibacterial selectivity of polyether ionophore antibiotics through diversity-focused semisynthesis

Polyether ionophores are complex natural products capable of transporting cations across biological membranes. Many polyether ionophores possess potent antimicrobial activity and a few selected compounds have ability to target aggressive cancer cells. Nevertheless, ionophore function is believed to be associated with idiosyncratic cellu-lar toxicity and, consequently, human clinical development has not been pursued. Here, we demonstrate that structurally novel polyether ionophores can be efficiently constructed by recycling components of highly abundant polyethers to afford analogues with enhanced anti-bacterial selectivity compared to a panel of natural polyether ionophores. We used classic degradation reactions of the natural polyethers lasalocid and monensin and combined the resulting fragments with building blocks provided by total synthesis, including halogen-functionalized tetronic acids as cation-binding groups. Our results suggest that structural optimization of polyether ionophores is possible and that this area represents a potential opportunity for future methodological innovation.

Diastereoselective Allylation of Aldehydes by Dual Photoredox and Chromium Catalysis

Herein, we report the redox-neutral allylation of aldehydes with readily available electron-rich allyl (hetero-) arenes, β-alkyl styrenes and allyl-diarylamines. This process was enabled by the combination of photoredox and chromium catalysis, which allowed a range of homoallylic alcohols to be prepared with high levels of selectivity for the anti diastereomer. Mechanistic investigations support the formation of an allyl chromium intermediate from allylic C(sp³)-H bonds and thus significantly extends the scope of the venerable Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi reaction.

Three-component coupling of aryl iodides, allenes, and aldehydes catalyzed by a Co/Cr-hybrid catalyst

The cobalt/chromium-catalyzed three-component coupling of aryl iodides, allenes, and aldehydes has been developed to afford multi-substituted homoallylic alcohols in a diastereoselective manner. Control experiments for understanding the reaction mechanism reveal that the cobalt catalyst is involved in the oxidative addition and carbometalation steps in the reaction, whereas the chromium salt generates highly nucleophilic allylchromium intermediates from allylcobalt species, without the loss of stereochemical information, to allow the addition to aldehydes.

Scalable Regioselective and Stereoselective Synthesis of Functionalized (E)-4-Iodobut-3-en-1-ols: Gram-Scale Total Synthesis of Fungal Decanolides and Derivatives

A reliable protocol to synthesize both racemic and chiral (E)-4-iodobut-3-en-1-ols from aldehydes or epoxides, respectively, containing various aromatic and aliphatic substitutions has been established. The utility of these compounds was then demonstrated by providing access to known fungal decanolides as well as novel aromatic macrocycles. The protocol provided a gram-scale route to (-)-aspinolide A and (-)-5-epi-aspinolide A utilizing a catalytic Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi reaction to close the macrolide in the final step in 65-84% yields.

Enantioselective Nozaki–Hiyama–Kishi allylation-lactonization for the syntheses of 3-substituted phthalides

A chromium-catalyzed enantioselective Nozaki–Hiyama–Kishi allylation of substituted (2-ethoxycarbonyl)benzaldehydes and subsequent lactonization to synthesize phthalides with an optimal enantioselectivity of 99%.

Total synthesis of 7-des-O-pivaloyl-7-O-benzylbryostatin 10

The first total synthesis of a derivative of a 20-deoxybryostatin, namely 7-des-O-pivaloyl-7-O-benzylbryostatin 10 is described. Preliminary studies demonstrated that the modified Julia reactions of 2-benzothiazolylsulfones corresponding to the C17-C27 fragment with aldehydes corresponding to the C1-C16 fragment, provided an efficient and stereoselective assembly of advanced intermediates with the (E)-16,17-double-bond. The synthesis of the C1-C16 fragment was then modified so that the C1 acid was present as its allyl ester before the Julia coupling. A more efficient synthesis of the C17-C27 sulfone was developed in which a key step was the bismuth mediated coupling of an allylic bromide with an aldehyde in the presence of an acrylate moiety in the allylic bromide. A scalable synthesis of an advanced macrolide was completed using the modified Julia reaction followed by selective deprotection and macrolactonisation. The final stages of the synthesis required selective hydroxyl deprotection and the introduction of the sensitive C19-C21 unsaturated keto-ester functionality. Unexpected selectivities were observed during studies of the hydroxyl group deprotections. In particular, cleavage of tri-isopropylsilyl ethers of the exocyclic primary allylic alcohols was observed in the presence of the triethylsilyl ether of the secondary alcohol at C19. Model studies helped in the design of the methods used to introduce the C19-C21 keto-ester functionality and led to the completion of a total synthesis of a close analogue of bryostatin 10 in which a benzyloxy group rather than the pivaloyloxy group was present at C7.

Methods Utilizing First-Row Transition Metals in Natural Product Total Synthesis

First-row transition-metal-mediated reactions constitute an important and growing area of research due to the low cost, low toxicity, and exceptional synthetic versatility of these metals. Currently, there is considerable effort to replace existing precious-metal-catalyzed reactions with first-row analogs. More importantly, there are a plethora of unique transformations mediated by first-row metals, which have no classical second- or third-row counterpart. Herein, the application of first-row metal-mediated methods to the total synthesis of natural products is discussed. This Review is intended to highlight strategic uses of these metals to realize efficient syntheses and highlight the future potential of these reagents and catalysts in organic synthesis.

Structural corroboration of two important building blocks of the anticancer drug eribulin mesylate through two-dimensional NMR and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies

Eribulin mesylate, one of the most synthetically challenging drugs to date, possesses 19 stereocentres in its structure and ascertaining the absolute stereochemistry at every stage of the 64-stage synthesis is crucial. In our quest to synthesize eribulin, we identified two critical building blocks of this molecule, namely 3,4:6,7-di-O-cyclohexylidene-D-glycero-α-L-talo-heptopyranose methanol monosolvate, C19H30O7·CH3OH, and (2R,3R,4R,5S)-5-allyl-2-[(S)-2,3-dihydroxypropyl]-4-[(phenylsulfonyl)methyl]tetrahydrofuran-3-ol, C17H24O6S, for which two-dimensional NMR (2D-NMR) data were not sufficient to prove the absolute configuration. To ensure structural integrity, single-crystal X-ray diffraction data were obtained to confirm the structures. This information provides useful insights into the structural framework of the large eribulin mesylate molecule.

Studies for the synthesis of xenicane diterpenes. A stereocontrolled total synthesis of 4-hydroxydictyolactone

The stereocontrolled total synthesis of 4-hydroxydictyolactone (4), a member of the xenicane diterpene family of natural products, is described. These studies feature the development of the B-alkyl Suzuki cross-coupling reaction for direct access to (E)-cyclononenes from acyclic precursors. The Ireland-Claisen rearrangement is effectively utilized to establish the backbone asymmetry of the contiguous C(2), C(3), C(10) stereotriad of 4. The synthesis strategy has devised an intramolecular Nozaki-Hiyama reductive allylation of a formate ester for the stereoselective formation of five-membered lactols 22. In addition, an internally directed S(E)' propargylation using allenylmagnesium bromide is described to establish the stereochemistry of the C(4) alcohol in 27, and the terminal alkyne is subsequently functionalized via a regioselective syn-silylstannylation to yield 30. Finally, the stereocontrolled phenylselenylation of the ester enolate derived from 43 leads to the desired syn-oxidative elimination to yield the natural product 4.

Synthesis of non-symmetric bis(oxazoline)-containing ligands and their application in the catalytic enantioselective Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi allylation of benzaldehyde

We report the good to high-yielding three-step synthesis of non-symmetrical bis(oxazoline)-containing ligands possessing an N-thienylaniline unit. The convergent synthesis employed a palladium-catalysed aryl amination of 2-(2'-bromothiophene)nitrile as the key step, with sixteen ligands prepared in total. These ligands were subsequently applied in the chromium-catalysed enantioselective Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi allylation of benzaldehyde with an optimal enantioselectivity of 73%.

The application of bis(oxazoline) ligands in the catalytic enantioselective methallylation of aldehydes

A series of symmetric and non-symmetric bis(oxazoline) ligands were applied in the Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi methallylation of a range of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes. A non-symmetrical ligand with tert-butyl/benzyl-substituted oxazolines provided the highest enantioselectivity of 99.5% for the methallylation of benzaldehyde.

Chromium-catalyzed pinacol-type cross-coupling: studies on stereoselectivity

A chromium-catalyzed pinacol-type cross-coupling reaction between alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds and aldehydes is reported. Even sterically demanding substrates could be coupled to afford the corresponding pinacols in good yields. Systematic studies concerning the origin of the diastereoselectivities led to the proposal of a mechanism for this synthetically useful reaction. Acroleins with alpha-branched alkyl side chains were coupled to give the corresponding syn pinacols, while on the other hand, acroleins with less bulky substituents furnished the anti derivatives. The effects of both the substrates and the reagents on the diastereo- and enantioselectivities were investigated. An unexpected catalytic formation of cyclopropanols was found.

Fe/Cr- and Co/Cr-mediated catalytic asymmetric 2-haloallylations of aldehydes

The first example to couple aldehydes and 3-bromo-2-halopropenes in a catalytic asymmetric manner is reported. The coupling reaction is effected by the use of a chiral sulfonamide-Cr complex (prepared in situ from 1d, CrBr3, Fe(III) or from Co(II), Et3N, and Mn), TMSCl, and 2,6-lutidine. The method reported here is operationally simple and scalable, furnishing 3-halohomoallylic alcohols with a synthetically useful level of enantiomeric excess.

Acid-promoted Prins cyclizations of enol ethers to form tetrahydropyrans

Trifluoroacetic acid efficiently catalyzes Prins cyclizations of enol ethers 8 to provide tetrahydropyrans 9 and 10. These tetrahydropyrans are isolated with combined yields of 42-85% and stereoselectivities at C(4) ranging from 95:5 to 50:50 depending on the nature of the substituent R. Unique byproducts of these cyclizations that reveal the presence of underlying equilibria have been isolated and identified. [reaction: see text]