Iterative synthesis of deoxypropionate units: the inductor effect in acyclic conformation design

Nickel-Catalyzed Enantioselective Coupling of Aldehydes and Electron-Deficient 1,3-Dienes Following an Inverse Regiochemical Course

The nickel catalyzed reductive coupling of aldehydes with sorbate esters and related electron-deficient 1,3-dienes are known in the literature to occur at the π-bond proximal to the ester to afford aldol-type products. In stark contrast to this established path, a VAPOL-derived phosphoramidite ligand in combination with a bench-stable nickel precatalyst brokers a regiocomplementary course in that C-C bond formation proceeds exclusively at the distal alkene site to give deoxypropionate type products carrying an acrylate handle; they can be made in either anti- or syn-configured form. In addition to this enabling reverse pathway, the reaction is distinguished by excellent levels of chemo-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivity; moreover, it can be extended to the catalytic formation of F₃C-substituted stereogenic centers. The use of a dienyl pinacolboronate instead of a sorbate ester is also possible, which opens access to valuable chiral borylated building blocks in optically active form.

Truncated borrelidin analogues: synthesis by sequential cross metathesis/olefination for the southern fragment and biological evaluation

The construction of novel borrelidin analogues is reported in which the northern fragment is truncated to a simple hydroxyundecanecarboxylate and the original cyclopentanecarboxylic acid in the southern fragment is replaced with different six-membered rings. The required precursors were prepared by cross metathesis of the appropriate carbocycle-based homoallylic alcohol with crotonaldehyde followed by HWE olefination of the resulting enal with bromocyanophosphonate. The key aldehyde for intramolecular cross coupling was accessible by oxidation of the hydroxy group of the linked undecanecarboxylate unit. Grignard mediated macrocyclization finally yielded the borrelidin related products. The investigation is complemented by SAR studies and quantum-chemical calculations.

Enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-blennolide A

Blennolide A can be synthesized through an enantioselective domino-Wacker/carbonylation/methoxylation reaction of 7a with 96 % ee and an enantioselective Wacker oxidation of 7b with 89 % ee. Further transformations led to the α,β-unsaturated ester (E)-17, which was subjected to a highly selective Michael addition, introducing a methyl group to give 18a. After a threefold oxidation and an intramolecular acylation, the tetrahydroxanthenone 4 was obtained, which could be transformed into (-)-blennolide A (ent-1) in a few steps.

A general, asymmetric, and noniterative synthesis of trideoxypropionates. Straightforward syntheses of the pheromones (+)-vittatalactone and (+)-norvittatalactone

A novel, highly stereocontrolled, and very flexible synthetic access to biologically relevant trideoxypropionate building blocks in optically pure form has been developed. On the basis of a three-step sequence comprising a thermal oxy-Cope rearrangement, an iridium-catalyzed hydrogenation, and an auxiliary-controlled enolate methylation, trideoxypropionates with easily adjustable relative configuration were synthesized in excellent yields. In addition, the functionalized end groups allow for chemoselective manipulations and further elongation of the chain. The underlying strategy constitutes the first noniterative process for the assembly of polydeoxypropionates and has further been applied in total syntheses of the pheromones (+)-vittatalactone and (+)-norvittatalactone, which had been isolated from the striped cucumber beetle Acalymma vittatum.

The structural requirements of histone deacetylase inhibitors: Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid analogs modified at the C3 position display isoform selectivity

The FDA-approved drug suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA, Vorinostat) was modified to improve its selectivity for a single histone deaetylase (HDAC) isoform. We show that attaching an ethyl group at the C3 position transforms SAHA from nonselective to an HDAC6-selective inhibitor. Theses results indicate that small structural changes in SAHA can significantly influence selectivity, which will lead future anti-cancer design efforts targeting HDAC proteins.

Iterative strategies for the synthesis of deoxypropionates

This feature article gives an overview of iterative synthetic methods for the construction of deoxypropionates, an important class of polyketides. The catalytic and non-catalytic methodologies discussed are based on highly stereoselective reactions which can be carried out in an iterative fashion. Non-catalytic methods are described first, followed by state of the art catalytic iterative protocols. The application of the iterative methods in the synthesis of natural products is discussed as well.

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of mycocerosic acid

The first catalytic asymmetric total synthesis of mycocerosic acid was achieved via the application of iterative enantioselective 1,4-addition reactions and allows for the efficient construction of 1,3-polymethyl arrays with full stereocontrol; further exemplified by the synthesis of tetramethyl-decanoic acid, a component of the preen-gland wax of the graylag goose, Anser anser.