Total Synthesis of (−)-Apicularen A

A synthetic study toward the core structure of (-)-apicularen A

A concise synthetic strategy towards the core structure of (-)-apicularen A has been described in an 11-step synthetic sequence from a known intermediate. The key steps include tandem isomerization followed by C-O and C-C bond-forming reactions and iodocyclization strategies for the synthesis of a bicyclic ether embedded in the macrolactone ring. The applied reagent-controlled Keck-Maruoka allylation, Lin Pu alkynylation and Ricket-Diels-Alder reactions were used to simplify the synthetic sequence of related natural products. An intramolecular Yamaguchi lactonization constructed the macrolactone core, while the attempt to install the C11 hydroxyl chiral centre either under catalytic hydrogenation conditions or oxidative conditions was not successful.

Diastereoselective synthesis of trifluoromethylated 1,3-dioxanes by intramolecular oxa-Michael reaction

A highly diastereoselective synthesis of trifluoromethylated 1,3-dioxanes is described. The reaction proceeds by an addition/oxa-Michael sequence and works efficiently under mild reaction conditions, with a good substrate scope and acceptable to good yields.

Stereochemistry of Pd(II)-Catalyzed THF Ring Formation of ε-Hydroxy Allylic Alcohols and Synthesis of 2,3,5-Trisubstituted and 2,3,4,5-Tetrasubstituted Tetrahydrofurans

Pd(II)-catalyzed ring formation of 2,3,5-trisubstituted and 2,3,4,5-tetrasubstituted tetrahydrofurans is described. Oxypalladation of a chiral ε-hydroxy allylic alcohol provides a 5-alkenyltetrahydrofuran ring in excellent yields via a 5-exo-trigonal process. Nine substrates including six secondary allylic alcohols and three primary allylic alcohols with or without an additional secondary hydroxy substituent at the γ-position have been examined. Their structures are restricted by a 2,2,4,4-tetraisopropyl-1,3,5,2,4-trioxadisilocane ring. The stereochemistry of the resulting tetrahydrofuran products was determined by chemical transformation. The reaction mechanism is discussed on the basis of the stereochemical results. The steps in the chiral allylic alcohol directed or the nucleophilic alcohol directed facial selection for the formation of the alkene-Pd(II)-π-complex, the cis-oxypalladation, and a syn-elimination mechanism account for the observed stereochemistry of the reaction.

Concise synthesis of calystegines B2 and B3via intramolecular Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi reaction

The key step in the concise syntheses of calystegine B2 and its C-2 epimer calystegine B3 was the construction of cycloheptanone 8via an intramolecular Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi (NHK) reaction of 9, an aldehyde containing a Z-vinyl iodide. Vinyl iodide 9 was obtained by the Stork olefination of aldehyde 10, derived from carbohydrate starting materials. Calystegines B2 (3) and B3 (4) were synthesized from d-xylose and l-arabinose derivatives respectively in 11 steps in excellent overall yields (27% and 19%).

Palladium(ii)-catalyzed direct alkenylation of dihydropyranones

A palladium(ii)-catalyzed direct alkenylation reaction of dihydropyranones was developed.

Design and synthesis of analogues of natural products

In this article strategies for the design and synthesis of natural product analogues are summarized and illustrated with some selected examples.

Stereoselective Aminopalladation and Oxypalladation and Their Application to the Synthesis of Natural Products

Stereoselective aminopalladation and oxypalladation are very important approaches for the synthesis of various natural products which contain N- and O-hetero-alicycles. The author has reviewed recent progress of synthesis of natural products using Pd(II)-catalyzed aminopalladation and oxypalladation including our work within this decade.

Enantioselective synthesis of (-)-basiliskamide A

Basiliskamide A is an antifungal polyketide natural product isolated by Andersen and co-workers from a Bacillus laterosporus isolate, PNG-276. A nine-step enantioselective synthesis of (-)-basiliskamide A is reported, starting from commercially available β-hydroxy ester 7. The synthesis features a highly diastereoselective mismatched double asymmetric δ-stannylallylboration reaction of aldehyde 5 with the bifunctional allylborane reagent 4.

De novo synthesis of natural products via the asymmetric hydration of polyenes

For the last ten years our group has been working toward the development of an asymmetric hydration approach to polyketide natural products based on the regioselective hydration of di- and tri-enoates. Key to the success of this approach is the recognition that both high regiocontrol and asymmetric induction could be obtained by the use of a Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation reaction. Herein we describe the development of the method and its application to natural product total synthesis.