Total Synthesis of Palmarumycin CP1 and (±)-Deoxypreussomerin A

Total synthesis, structure revision and cytotoxic activity of Sch 53825 and its derivatives

The first total synthesis of Sch 53825 (14) was achieved in 12 steps from 5-hydroxy-1-tetralone in 16% overall yield through N-benzyl cinchoninium chloride-catalyzed asymmetric epoxidation and a Mitsunobu reaction as the key steps. On this basis, the synthesis of palmarumycin B₆ was improved using the same raw material with 6 steps and 32% overall yield. Also, three new analogues with two chlorine atoms were synthesized. Their structures were characterized by ¹H, ¹³C NMR, HR-ESI-MS and X-ray diffraction data. The structure of natural Sch 53825 was revised as an epimer of compound 1 with the anti-hydroxy epoxide at C-4. Their cytotoxic activities against several tumor cell lines (HCT116, U251, BGC823, Huh-7 and PC9) showed that compound 11 exhibited excellent cytotoxicity against above mentioned cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ < 0.5 μM.

The first total synthesis of Sch 53825 (14) was achieved in 12 steps from 5-hydroxy-1-tetralone in 16% overall yield through N-benzyl cinchoninium chloride-catalyzed asymmetric epoxidation and a Mitsunobu reaction as the key steps.

Total Synthesis and Antifungal Activity of Palmarumycin CP17 and Its Methoxy Analogues

Total synthesis of naturally occurring spirobisnaphthalene palmarumycin CP₁₇ and its methoxy analogues was first achieved through Friedel-Crafts acylation, Wolff-Kishner reduction, intramolecular cyclization, ketalization, benzylic oxidation, and demethylation using the inexpensive and readily available methoxybenzene, 1,2-dimethoxybenzene and 1,4-dimethoxybenzene and 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene as raw materials. Demethylation with (CH₃)₃SiI at ambient temperature resulted in ring A aromatization and acetal cleavage to give rise to binaphthyl ethers. The antifungal activities of these spirobisnaphthalene derivatives were evaluated, and the results revealed that 5 and 9b exhibit EC₅₀ values of 9.34 µg/mL and 12.35 µg/mL, respectively, against P. piricola.

Hypervalent iodine catalysis for selective oxidation of Baylis–Hillman adducts via in situ generation of o-iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX) from 2-iodosobenzoic acid (IBA) in the presence of oxone

An efficient, eco-friendly protocol for selective oxidation of primary and secondary Baylis–Hillman alcohols to the corresponding carbonyl compounds in high yields has been developed with 2-iodosobenzoic acid (IBA).

Polyvalent iodine in organic chemistry

Tricoordinate, I(III), and pentacoordinate, I(V), polyvalent iodine compounds have been known for over a century. In the last twenty years, new polyvalent iodine reagents have been introduced along with synthetic methodologies, based on these and derived reagents, that play an ever increasing role in contemporary organic chemistry. In this Perspective, an overview of these developments is provided with emphasis on the chemistry and uses of aryl-, alkenyl-, and alkynyliodonium salts in preparative and synthetic organic chemistry. It is hoped that this brief overview, along with recent more comprehensive reviews of the field, will stimulate further developments and applications of this useful class of compounds across a broad spectrum of organic chemistry.

Unified route to the palmarumycin and preussomerin natural products. Enantioselective synthesis of (-)-preussomerin G

The total syntheses of eight members of the palmarumycin family have been achieved, with identification of the absolute stereochemistry for three of these natural products. In addition, the ras-farnesyl transferase inhibitor (-)-preussomerin G has been synthesized, achieving the first enantioselective route for accessing this family of natural products. Highlights of the synthetic work include an asymmetric epoxidation of a cyclic enone in excellent yield and enantiomeric excess and a potentially biomimetic oxidative spirocyclization for the introduction of the bis-spiroketal array unique to the preussomerin natural products.

Synthesis of cis- and trans-5,8-dihydroxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-1,4-naphthoquinone

Cis- and trans-5,8-dihydroxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-1,4-naphthoquinone (1a, 1b) were for the first time synthesized from 5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (naphthazazine) (6) as a starting material and racemic triol (3) was first synthesized from 7. The configuration of 1a was determined by X-ray analysis.

Formal total synthesis of (+)-diepoxin sigma

The highly oxygenated antifungal anticancer natural product (+/-)-diepoxin sigma was prepared in 10 steps and in 15% overall yield from O-methylnaphthazarin. Highlights of the synthetic work include an Ullmann coupling and a possibly biomimetic oxidative spirocyclization for the introduction of the naphthalene ketal as well as the use of a retro-Diels-Alder reaction to unmask the reactive enone moiety in the naphthoquinone bisepoxide ring system. A novel highly bulky chiral binaphthol ligand was developed for a boron-mediated Diels-Alder reaction that constitutes a formal asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-diepoxin sigma.