Palladium hydroxide catalyzed isomerization of primary allylic alcohols to aldehydes: application to the formal synthesis of (-)-brevisamide

Redox-neutral remote amidation of alkenyl alcohols via long-range isomerization/transformation

A facile and straightforward approach for the construction of amides via redox-neutral Ru-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of long-range alkenyl alcohols with amines to realize remote site-selective functionalization has been developed.

Synthesis of Indolo[2,1-a]benzazepinones through Rhodium-Catalyzed Cascade Reactions of 2-Arylindoles with Allyl Alcohols

An efficient synthesis of indolo[2,1-a]benzazepinones through rhodium-catalyzed cascade reactions of 2-arylindoles with allyl alcohols has been developed. This work expands the scope of products that are available through C-H activation/intramolecular annulation reactions of 2-arylindoles in organic synthesis.

Enantiospecific Total Synthesis of (-)-Japonicol C

An efficient and convergent first total syntheses of (±)-japonicol B and (-)-japonicol C have been completed. The notable points of the synthetic route are Lewis-acid-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts reaction for one pot C-C and C-O bond formations resulting in construction of the tricyclic meroterpenoid skeleton, one pot Pd(OH)₂/C-catalyzed isomerization/hydrogenation, and site selective sp³ C-H oxidation.

Photoredox-Catalyzed Isomerization of Highly Substituted Allylic Alcohols by C-H Bond Activation

Photoredox-catalyzed isomerization of γ-carbonyl-substituted allylic alcohols to their corresponding carbonyl compounds was achieved for the first time by C-H bond activation. This catalytic redox-neutral process resulted in the synthesis of 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds. Notably, allylic alcohols bearing tetrasubstituted olefins can also be transformed into their corresponding carbonyl compounds. Density functional theory calculations show that the carbonyl group at the γ-position of allylic alcohols are beneficial to the formation of their corresponding allylic alcohol radicals with high vertical electron affinity, which contributes to the completion of the photoredox catalytic cycle.

An Update on Isocyanide-Based Multicomponent Reactions in Polymer Science

Developments and progress in polymer science are often inspired by organic chemistry. In recent years, multicomponent reactions-especially the Passerini and Ugi reactions-have become very important tools for macromolecular design, mainly due to their modular character. In this review, the versatility of the Passerini and Ugi reactions in polymer science is highlighted by discussing recent examples of their use for monomer synthesis, as polymerization techniques, and for postpolymerization modification, as well as their suitability for architecture control, sequence control, and sequence definition.

Total Synthesis of Brevisamide Using an Oxiranyl Anion Strategy

A total synthesis of brevisamide, a marine monocyclic ether amide isolated from the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis, has been achieved in 18 steps starting from 4-(benzyloxy)butanol. The synthesis involves oxiranyl anion coupling between an epoxy sulfone and a triflate, intramolecular etherification of a hydroxy-bromoketone, diastereoselective introduction of the axial methyl group by hydroxyl-directed hydrogenation of an exocyclic olefin, and installation of an acetamide side chain by nucleophilic substitution of an N-acetyl carbamate. The dienal side chain is assembled using a Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction to complete the synthesis.

Ruthenium complexes with dendritic ferrocenyl phosphanes: synthesis, characterization, and application in the catalytic redox isomerization of allylic alcohols

An efficient system for the catalytic redox isomerization of the allylic alcohol 1-octen-3-ol to 3-octanone is presented. The homogeneous ruthenium(II) catalyst contains a monodentate phosphane ligand with a ferrocene moiety in the backbone and provides 3-octanone in quantitative yields. The activity is increased by nearly 90 % with respect to the corresponding triphenyl phosphane ruthenium(II) complex. By grafting the catalyst at the surface of a dendrimer, the catalytic activity is further increased. By introducing different spacers between ferrocene and phosphorus, the influence on the electronic properties of the complexes is shown by evaluating the electrochemical behavior of the compounds.

Gold-catalyzed diastereoselective synthesis of 2,6-trans-disubstituted tetrahydropyran derivatives: application for the synthesis of the C1–C13 fragment of bistramide A and B

An efficient Au(iii)-catalyzed diastereoselective allylation leading to 2,6-trans-disubstituted tetrahydropyrans and application for the synthesis of the C1–C13 fragment of bistramide A and B is described.

Redox control of a dendritic ferrocenyl-based homogeneous catalyst

The application of a dendrimer in a redox-switchable catalytic process is reported. A monomeric and the corresponding dendritic ferrocenylphosphane ligand were used to develop well-defined controllable catalysts with distinct redox states. The corresponding ruthenium(II) complexes catalyze the isomerization of the allylic alcohol 1-octen-3-ol. By adding a chemical oxidant or reductant, it was possible to reversibly switch the catalytic activity of the complexes. On oxidation, the ferrocenium moiety withdraws electron density from the phosphane, thereby lowering its basicity. The resulting electron-poor ruthenium center shows much lower activity for the redox isomerization and the reaction rate is markedly reduced.

First total syntheses and antimicrobial evaluation of penicimonoterpene, a marine-derived monoterpenoid, and its various derivatives

The first total synthesis of marine-derived penicimonoterpene (±)-1 has been achieved in four steps from 6-methylhept-5-en-2-one using a Reformatsky reaction as the key step to construct the basic carbon skeleton. A total of 24 new derivatives of 1 have also been designed and synthesized. Their structures were characterized by analysis of their 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HRESIMS data. Some of them showed significant antibacterial activity against Aeromonas hydrophila, Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio anguillarum, V. harveyi and/or V. parahaemolyticus, and some showed activity against plant-pathogenic fungi (Alternaria brassicae, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and/or Fusarium graminearum). Some of the derivatives exhibited antimicrobial MIC values ranging from 0.25 to 4 μg/mL, which were stronger than those of the positive control. Notably, Compounds 3b and 10 showed extremely high selectively against plant-pathogenic fungus F. graminearum (MIC 0.25 μg/mL) and pathogenic bacteria E. coli (MIC 1 μg/mL), implying their potential as antimicrobial agents. SAR analysis of 1 and its derivatives indicated that modification of the carbon-carbon double bond at C-6/7, of groups on the allylic methylene unit and of the carbonyl group at C-1, effectively enhanced the antimicrobial activity.

Iridium(i) hydroxides in catalysis: rearrangement of allylic alcohols to ketones

The iridium(i) hydroxide complex [Ir(OH)(COD)(IⁱPr)] has been shown to be a competent catalyst for the rearrangement of allylic alcohols to ketones.

A concise asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-brevisamide

A new protecting-group-free synthesis of the marine monocyclic ether (+)-brevisamide is reported. The enantioselective synthesis utilizes a key asymmetric Henry reaction and an Achmatowicz rearrangement for the formation of the tetrahydropyran ring. A penultimate Stille cross-coupling allows for an efficient installation of the conjugated (E,E)-diene side chain ultimately delivering (+)-brevisamide.