Total Synthesis of Dragocins A-C through Electrochemical Cyclization

The first total synthesis of dragocins A-C, remarkable natural products containing an unusual C4' oxidized ribose architecture bridged by a polyhydroxylated pyrrolidine, is presented through a route featuring a number of uncommon maneuvers. Several generations towards the target molecules are presented, including the spectacular failure of a key C-H oxidation on a late-stage intermediate. The final route features rapid, stereocontrolled access to a densely functionalized pyrrolidine and an unprecedented diastereoselective oxidative electrochemical cyclization to forge the hallmark 9-membered ring. Preliminary studies suggest this electrochemical oxidation protocol is generally useful.

Chiral Indolizinium Salts Derived from 2-Pyridinecarbaldehyde-First Diastereoselective Syntheses of (-)-1-epi-lentiginosine

The first diastereoselective synthesis of (-)-1-epi-lentiginosine from a common chiral trans-epoxyamide derived from 2-pyridincarbaldehyde is reported. This methodology involves a sequential oxirane ring opening and intramolecular 5-exo-tet cyclization of tosylate trans-epoxyalcohol to afford a diastereomeric mixture of indolizinium salts in a one-pot fashion, followed by regio- and diastereospecific pyridinium ring reduction.

Recent advances on the total synthesis of alkaloids in mainland China

Alkaloids are a large family of natural products that mostly contain basic nitrogen atoms. Because of their intriguing structures and important functions, they have long been popular targets for synthetic organic chemists. China's chemists have made significant progress in the area of alkaloid synthesis over past decades. In this article, selected total syntheses of alkaloids from research groups in mainland China during the period 2011–16 are highlighted.

Simple Indolizidine and Quinolizidine Alkaloids

This review of simple indolizidine and quinolizidine alkaloids (i.e., those in which the parent bicyclic systems are in general not embedded in polycyclic arrays) is an update of the previous coverage in Volume 55 of this series (2001). The present survey covers the literature from mid-1999 to the end of 2013; and in addition to aspects of the isolation, characterization, and biological activity of the alkaloids, much emphasis is placed on their total synthesis. A brief introduction to the topic is followed by an overview of relevant alkaloids from fungal and microbial sources, among them slaframine, cyclizidine, Steptomyces metabolites, and the pantocins. The important iminosugar alkaloids lentiginosine, steviamine, swainsonine, castanospermine, and related hydroxyindolizidines are dealt with in the subsequent section. The fourth and fifth sections cover metabolites from terrestrial plants. Pertinent plant alkaloids bearing alkyl, functionalized alkyl or alkenyl substituents include dendroprimine, anibamine, simple alkaloids belonging to the genera Prosopis, Elaeocarpus, Lycopodium, and Poranthera, and bicyclic alkaloids of the lupin family. Plant alkaloids bearing aryl or heteroaryl substituents include ipalbidine and analogs, secophenanthroindolizidine and secophenanthroquinolizidine alkaloids (among them septicine, julandine, and analogs), ficuseptine, lasubines, and other simple quinolizidines of the Lythraceae, the simple furyl-substituted Nuphar alkaloids, and a mixed quinolizidine-quinazoline alkaloid. The penultimate section of the review deals with the sizable group of simple indolizidine and quinolizidine alkaloids isolated from, or detected in, ants, mites, and terrestrial amphibians, and includes an overview of the "dietary hypothesis" for the origin of the amphibian metabolites. The final section surveys relevant alkaloids from marine sources, and includes clathryimines and analogs, stellettamides, the clavepictines and pictamine, and bis(quinolizidine) alkaloids.

Enantioselective syntheses of (R)-pipecolic acid, (2R,3R)-3-hydroxypipecolic acid, β-(+)-conhydrine and (−)-swainsonine using an aziridine derived common chiral synthon

Concise total syntheses of (R)-pipecolic acid, (2R,3R)-3-hydroxypipecolic acid and formal syntheses of β-(+)-conhydrine, (−)-lentiginosine, (−)-swainsonine and -1,2-di-epi-swainsonine have been accomplished starting from a common chiral synthon.

A stereoselective approach to indolizidine and pyrrolizidine alkaloids: total synthesis of (−)-lentiginosine, (−)-epi-lentiginosine and (−)-dihydroxypyrrolizidine

The total synthesis of (−)-lentiginosine, epi-1,2-lentiginosine and dihydroxypyrrolizidine is reported from an aldehyde as a starting material using organocatalysis and asymmetric dihydroxylation as key steps.