Stereoselective synthesis of the 2,6-disubstituted tetrahydropyran-3-ol of the potent antitumor agent mucocin via an acyl radical cyclization

Sulfones as Chemical Chameleons: Versatile Synthetic Equivalents of Small-Molecule Synthons

Sulfones are flexible functional groups that can act as nucleophiles, electrophiles, or even radicals. Changing the reaction conditions can completely alter the reactivity of a sulfonyl group, and as a result, molecules bearing multiple sulfones are versatile building blocks. This Review highlights the unique ability of 1,1- and 1,2-bis(sulfones) to masquerade as a vast array of reactive synthons including methane polyanions, vinyl cations, and all-carbon dipoles that would be difficult or impossible to access directly.

Total synthesis of annonaceous acetogenins belonging to the non-adjacent bis-THF and non-adjacent THF-THP sub-classes

The synthesis of the subgroups of acetogenins containing non-adjacent bis-THF and non-adjacent THF-THP core units is reviewed. Specifically, total syntheses of gigantecin, 4-deoxygigantecin, cis-sylvaticin, squamostatin-C, squamostatin-D, sylvaticin and mucocin are discussed.

Enantioselective total synthesis of the potent antitumor agent (-)-mucocin using a temporary silicon-tethered ring-closing metathesis cross-coupling reaction

The enantioselective total synthesis of the annonaceous acetogenin (-)-mucocin (1) was accomplished using a triply convergent 12-step sequence (longest linear sequence) in 13.6% overall yield. This represents the first application of the temporary silicon-tethered (TST) ring-closing metathesis (RCM) cross-coupling reaction and the enantioselective alkyne/aldehyde addition to the synthesis of a complex annonaceous acetogenin. Moreover, all three fragments required for the coupling reactions are conveniently prepared in 5-6 steps from two readily available enantiomerically enriched epoxides. Finally, this synthesis stimulated the development of a new approach for the construction of 3-hydroxy-2,6-disubstituted tetrahydropyrans, using the bismuth tribromide-mediated reductive etherification reaction, which represents a motif that is prevalent in a wide range of pharmacologically significant natural products.

Radical Carbonylation/Reductive Cyclization for the Construction of Tetrahydrofuran-3-ones and Pyrrolidin-3-ones

Beta-hydroxyalkyl aryl chalcogenides obtained by regioselective ring-opening of epoxides with benzeneselenolate or -tellurolate were found to undergo efficient hetero-Michael addition when treated with ethyl propiolate. Subsequent carbonylation/reductive cyclization of the resulting vinylogous carbonates in the presence of AIBN/TTMSS and carbon monoxide (80 atm) afforded 2,5-disubstituted tetrahydrofuran-3-ones, predominantly as cis isomers (cis/trans = 4/1-9/1). Starting from a polymer-supported diaryl diselenide, the methodology was also successfully extended to solid-phase synthesis. Vinylogous carbamates prepared by hetero-Michael addition of aziridines to electron-deficient alkynes were regioselectively ring-opened with benzeneselenolate from the sterically least hindered side. Radical carbonylation/reductive cyclization of the resulting N-vinyl-beta-amino-alkyl phenyl selenides afforded 2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidin-3-ones, predominantly as cis isomers (cis/trans = 3/1-12/1).

Construction of tetrahydrofuran-3-ones from readily available organochalcogen precursors via radical carbonylation/reductive cyclization

[reaction: see text] beta-Hydroxyalkyl aryl chalcogenides, readily available by regioselective ring-opening of epoxides with nucleophilic benzeneselenolate or tellurolate, were O-alkylated by treatment with ethyl propiolate or (E)-1,2-bis(phenylsulfonyl)ethylene. Subsequent carbonylation/reductive cyclization in the presence of AIBN/TTMSS and carbon monoxide (80 atm) afforded tetrahydrofuran-3-ones in moderate to good yields.

Stereoselective synthesis of cyclic ethers using vinylogous sulfonates as radical acceptors: effect of E/Z geometry and temperature on diastereoselectivity

Treatment of the E-vinylogous sulfonates 1a-g with tris(trimethylsilyl)silane and triethylborane, in the presence of air, furnished the cyclic ethers 2/3a-g with good to excellent diastereoselectivity favoring the cis-isomer 2. This study demonstrated the level of stereocontrol in a 6-exo radical cyclization and may be attributed to the type of radical intermediate. Hence, the modest selectivity obtained for the cyclization of 1e may be a function of the acyl radical geometry (sp2) and high inversion barrier (29 kcal/mol) as compared to the alkyl (1 kcal/mol) and vinyl (2.9 kcal/mol) radicals. This is consistent with the acyl radical cyclization having an earlier transition state than the corresponding alkyl and vinyl radicals. The modest diastereoselectivity can be improved dramatically using the Z-vinylogous sulfonate (> or =34:1; R = Ph) to promote kinetic trapping of the s-trans rotamer I and III, respectively (Figure 1). The 5-exo alkyl radical cyclization reaction under nonreductive Keck-allylation conditions was also examined, in which 8 was formed in 91% overall yield. This transformation provides a convenient method for in situ homologation and should be applicable to target directed synthesis.