Synthesis of Bungeanool, Isobungeanool, Dihydrobungeanool, Tetrahydrobungeanool, Hazaleamide, Lanyuamide III, and Analogues

The bungeanools are a family of alkamide natural products isolated from the pericarps of Zanthoxylum bungeanum (Sichuan pepper), and they are structurally related to the sanshools. While the sanshools, especially hydroxy-α-sanshool, have been studied in a variety of contexts, research regarding the bungeanools has been much more limited. To facilitate their study, we have developed stereoselective syntheses of all four members of this family of compounds by using flexible routes that are also amenable to the synthesis of analogues. The key transformation in the syntheses was the stereoselective triphenylphosphine/phenol-catalyzed isomerization of an alkynoate to the corresponding conjugated E,E-dienoate.

Ph3P promoted one-pot synthesis of dialkyl 2-(2-oxopyridin-1(2H)-yl)but-2-enedioates from a reaction of 2-hydroxypyridine and dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates

2-Hydroxypyridine undergoes a smooth reaction with dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates in the presence of triphenylphosphine (15 mol%) to produce the E/Z isomers of dialkyl 2-(2-oxopyridin-1(2 H)-yl)but-2-enedioates in high yields.

Phosphine Organocatalysis

The hallmark of nucleophilic phosphine catalysis is the initial nucleophilic addition of a phosphine to an electrophilic starting material, producing a reactive zwitterionic intermediate, generally under mild conditions. In this Review, we classify nucleophilic phosphine catalysis reactions in terms of their electrophilic components. In the majority of cases, these electrophiles possess carbon-carbon multiple bonds: alkenes (section 2), allenes (section 3), alkynes (section 4), and Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) alcohol derivatives (MBHADs; section 5). Within each of these sections, the reactions are compiled based on the nature of the second starting material-nucleophiles, dinucleophiles, electrophiles, and electrophile-nucleophiles. Nucleophilic phosphine catalysis reactions that occur via the initial addition to starting materials that do not possess carbon-carbon multiple bonds are collated in section 6. Although not catalytic in the phosphine, the formation of ylides through the nucleophilic addition of phosphines to carbon-carbon multiple bond-containing compounds is intimately related to the catalysis and is discussed in section 7. Finally, section 8 compiles miscellaneous topics, including annulations of the Hüisgen zwitterion, phosphine-mediated reductions, iminophosphorane organocatalysis, and catalytic variants of classical phosphine oxide-generating reactions.

Phosphine catalyzed δ-carbon addition and isomerization of alkynones to ketimines: the preparation of 1,3-diene substituted dihydroquinazolinones and 3-aminooxindoles

A novel strategy of the phosphine catalyzed addition of alkynones to ketimines for the synthesis of α-amino diene derivatives has been developed for the first time, thus providing diene incorporating α-amino products in moderate to excellent yields.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of (-)-kunstleramide and its derivatives

Stereoselective total synthesis of (-)-kunstleramide, a cytotoxic dienamide from the bark of Beilschmiedia kunstleri gamble, has been accomplished by using Keck's asymmetric allylation and Trost isomerization as key reactions. Application of the developed strategy for the synthesis of a series of amide analogues (8-22) was also reported. Furthermore, the synthesized compounds were evaluated for their in vitro anti-proliferative activities against human epithelial lung carcinoma (A549), human epithelial cervical cancer (HeLa), human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7) and human neuroblastoma (IMR32) cell lines using the SRB assay. All the compounds show moderate anti-proliferative activity against all cell lines. Some of the piperazine derivatives (17-22) strongly inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells with IC50 values of 8-20 μM.

Lu's [3 + 2] cycloaddition of allenes with electrophiles: discovery, development and synthetic application

The discovery of Lu's [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction is briefly introduced, and the recent important developments and synthetic applications of Lu's [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction are highlighted and overviewed.

In situ intramolecular catalytic 1,2-addition of allenoates to cyclic ketones towards polycyclic allenoates

Sequential deprotonation, isomerization of 3-alkynoates and subsequent 1,2-addition led to bicyclic allenoate in the presence of a catalytic amount of Cs₂CO₃.

Unusual formal [4 + 2] cycloaddition of ethyl allenoate with arylidenoxindoles: synthesis of dihydropyran-fused indoles

An unusual DABCO-catalyzed formal [4 + 2] cycloaddition of ethyl allenoate, as a surrogate of a "1,2-dipole", with various arylidenoxindoles has been developed for the synthesis of dihydropyran-fused indoles. The DFT mechanistic study indicates that the cycloaddition takes place stepwise and the essential role of the catalyst is to raise the HOMO of allenoate.

P-Acylphosphonium salts and their vinyloges — application in synthesis

Review with 101 refs. of progress in synthetic applications and properties of P-acylphosphonium salts including acylation via P-acylphosphonium salts, enantioselective acylation using chiral phosphine ligands, nucleophilic (β)-oniovinylation, and reaction involving vinyloges of P-acylphosphonium salts formed by treatment conjugated alkenoates or alkynoates with phosphines.

Synthesis of Alkyl 2-[2-oxopyridin-1(2H)-yl]acrylates by Nucleophilic Addition of Alkyl Propiolates Catalysed by Ph3P

2-Hydroxypyridine undergoes a smooth reaction with alkyl propiolates in the presence of triphenylphosphine (15 mol%) to produce the corresponding alkyl 2-[2-oxopyridin-1(2H)-yl]acrylates in good yields. When the reaction was performed by 2-hydroxyquinoline and 2-hydroxyisoquinoline similar α-substituted alkyl acrylates were obtained.

Synthetic studies on macrolactin A: construction of C4-C24 fragment

The preparation of the C4-C24 fragment of the macrolactin A is described. The adopted synthetic strategy involves two isomerizations to selectively construct the (8E,10Z) and (16E,18E) dienes, using a sequential Claisen rearrangement/allene isomerization and a Ph3P-catalyzed isomerization of an yne-one, respectively.

Formation of P-Ylide under Neutral and Metal-Free Conditions: Transformation of Aziridines and Epoxides to Conjugated Dienes In the Presence of Phosphine

A general approach to formation of the P-ylide from the reaction of aziridines or epoxides with organophosphine under neutral and metal-free conditions is realized. Conjugated diene derivatives based on this kind of P-ylide were prepared in a facile and convenient way.

Highly regioselective construction of spirocycles via phosphine-catalyzed [3 + 2]-cycloaddition

A direct entry to spirocycles with low to moderate regioselectivity was achieved by triphenylphosphine-catalyzed [3 + 2]-cycloaddition of active exo-methylenecycles (1) and ethyl 2,3-butadienoate (2). The regioselectivity of the reaction was greatly improved by using the bulky tert-butyl ester of the 2,3-butadienoate (5). The regioselectivity of the reaction was further enhanced by using the tert-butyl 2-butynoate as the substrate. This protocol provided an efficient entry to the skeleton of spirocarbocycles, especially spiro[4.n]alkanes.

Synthesis of Highly Functionalized gamma-Butyrolactones from Activated Carbonyl Compounds and Dimethyl Acetylenedicarboxylate

A triphenylphosphine-catalyzed cyclization of alpha-keto esters, alpha-keto nitriles, or alpha,alpha,alpha-trifluoroacetophenone with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate is reported to produce highly functionalized alpha,beta-unsaturated gamma-butyrolactones in moderate yields. Thus treating a mixture of methyl 4-nitrophenylglyoxylate and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate with 20 mol % of triphenylphosphine afforded 5,5'-disubstituted 3-methoxy-4-(methoxycarbonyl)-2(3H)-furanone in 94% yield. In the reaction of alpha-keto esters R(1)COCOOMe, an electron-withdrawing R(1) substituent is required for satisfactory reactivity. On the other hand, electron-donating R(1) substituents give higher yields with alpha-keto nitriles R(1)COCN. Another electron-deficient carbonyl compound, alpha,alpha,alpha-trifluoroacetophenone, gave the corresponding lactone in good yield. The use of an alpha-hydroxy ketone as an electrophilic carbonyl compound with more than 1 equiv of triphenylphosphine produced dihydrofuran derivatives. One equivalent of triphenylphosphine oxide was obtained as a major product. An intramolecular Wittig reaction is proposed as a reaction mechanism.