Achmatowicz Reaction and its Application in the Syntheses of Bioactive Molecules

Synthesis of Highly Functionalized Spirocycles and Pentafulvene-Containing Dyes Involving 2-(2'-ketoalkyl)-1,3-indandiones

Synthesis of highly functionalized spiro[4.4]nonane and spiro[4.5]decane motifs by the reaction of dimethylacetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) with 2-(2'-ketoalkyl)-1,3-indandiones and 2-(3'-ketoalkyl)-1,3-indandiones, respectively, has been developed by utilizing a catalytic amount of DABCO. The tertiary hydroxy-containing spiro[4.4]nonane products were converted into fully conjugated pentafulvene π-systems in an acidic medium through dehydration and unprecedented C-C bond rearrangement.

Concise Stereoselective Total Synthesis of (-)-Hedycoropyran A

A concise and stereoselective total synthesis of (-)-hedycoropyran A was accomplished in a substrate-controlled manner from a readily available alkene. Highlights of the synthesis include a highly diastereoselective dehydrogenative cycloetherification to construct the trans-2-aryl-6-alkyl-3,6-dihydro-2H-pyran framework and late-stage substrate-controlled trans-dihydroxylation at C(3,4).

Organocatalytic Synthesis of Furan-Embedded Styrene Atropisomers

Herein, we report the first synthesis of furan-embedded styrene atropisomers via the reaction between 1-(aryl-ethynyl)-naphthalen-2-ol and γ-hydroxyenone. The reaction proceeds through in situ furan formation from γ-hydroxyenone. The styrene derivatives were obtained in moderate to good yields with high diastereoselectivities with a catalytic amount of PTSA. Few applications such as triazole formation and cross-coupling reactions have been demonstrated. A preliminary catalytic asymmetric version was also reported.

Coding Synthetic Chemistry Strategies for Furan Valorization into Bacterial Designer Cells

Following a synthetic chemistry blueprint for the valorization of lignocellulosic platform chemicals, this study showcases a so far unprecedented approach to implement non-natural enzyme modules in vivo. For the design of a novel functional whole cell tool, two purely abiotic transformations, a styrene monooxygenase-catalyzed Achmatowicz rearrangement and an alcohol dehydrogenase-mediated borrowing hydrogen redox isomerization, were incorporated into a recombinant bacterial host. Introducing this type of chemistry otherwise unknown in biosynthesis, the cellular factories were enabled to produce complex lactone building blocks in good yield from bio-based furan substrates. This whole cell system streamlined the synthetic cascade, eliminated isolation and purification steps, and provided a high degree of stereoselectivity that has so far been elusive in the chemical methodology.

Ru-Catalyzed Isomerization of Achmatowicz Derivatives: A Sustainable Route to Biorenewables and Bioactive Lactones

A Ru-catalyzed isomerization of Achmatowicz derivatives that opens unexplored routes to diversify the biogenic furanic platform is reported. The mechanistic insights of this formally redox-neutral intramolecular process were studied computationally and by deuterium labeling. The transformation proved to be a robust synthetic tool to achieve the synthesis of bioderived-monomers and a series of 4-keto-δ-valerolactones that further enabled the development of a flexible strategy for the synthesis of acetogenins. A concise and protective group-free asymmetric total synthesis of two natural products, namely, (S,S)-muricatacin and the (S,S)-L-factor, is also described.

Modular synthesis of 2-furyl carbinols from 3-benzyldimethylsilylfurfural platforms relying on oxygen-assisted C–Si bond functionalization

3-Silylated furfurals, readily prepared in three steps from biomass-derived furfural and 5-methylfurfural, are converted into 3-silylated 2-furyl carbinols upon condensation with organomagnesium or organolithium reagents. The hydroxy unit of the carbinol adducts can be exploited to promote C3(sp²)–Si bond functionalization through intramolecular activation. Two approaches were contemplated for this purpose. Activation by alkoxides of the C3–SiEt₃ or C3–SiMe₂t-Bu bonds was ineffective. Conversely, treatment of the C3-benzyldimethylsilyl-appended derivatives with tetrabutylammonium fluoride led to cyclic siloxanes, which revealed to be competent donors for copper-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, such as arylation reactions catalyzed by Pd₂(dba)₃/CuI, as well as allylation and methylation reactions catalyzed by CuI⋅PPh₃. C3-Benzyldimethylsilyl-appended furfurals are thus introduced as versatile platforms, providing a modular access to 3-substituted 2-furyl carbinols from renewable feedstock.

Achmatowicz Rearrangement-Inspired Development of Green Chemistry, Organic Methodology, and Total Synthesis of Natural Products

The six-membered heterocycles containing oxygen and nitrogen (tetrahydropyrans, pyrans, piperidines) are among the most common heterocyclic structures ubiquitously present in bioactive molecules such as carbohydrates, small-molecule drugs, and natural products. Chemical synthesis of fully functionalized pyrans and piperidines is a research theme of practical importance and scientific significance and, thus, has attracted continuous interest from synthetic chemists. Among the numerous synthetic approaches, Achmatowicz rearrangement (AchR) represents a general and unique strategy that uses biomass-derived furfuryl alcohols as the renewable starting material to obtain fully functionalized six-membered oxygen/nitrogen heterocycles, which provides golden opportunities for organic chemists to address various synthetic challenges.This Account summarizes our 10 years of work on exploiting AchR to address some challenges in organic synthesis ranging from green chemistry and organic methodology to the total synthesis of natural products. We enabled the sustainable and safe use of AchR in a small (academia) or large (industrial) scale by developing two generations of green approaches for AchR (oxone-halide and Fenton-halide), which largely eliminate the use of the most popular, but more toxic and expansive, NBS and m-CPBA. This triggered our intensive interest in developing new green chemistry for important organic reactions, in particular, halogenation/oxidation reactions involving reactive halogenating species with the aim of eliminating the use of commonly used toxic halogen agents such as elemental bromine, chlorine gas, and various N-haloamide reagents (NBS, NCS, and NIS). We successfully employed oxone-halide and Fenton-halide as green alternatives to several mechanistically related organic reactions including arene/alkene halogenation, oxidation or oxidative rearrangement of indoles, oxidation of alcohols/thioacetals, and oxidative halogenation of aldoximes for the in situ generation of nitrile oxide. These green reactions are expected to have a solid impact on the future of organic synthesis in academia and industries.We expanded the synthetic utility of AchR by exploring several new transformations of AchR products and developed a cascade reductive ring expansion, reductive deoxygenation/Heck-Matsuda arylation, palladium-catalyzed C-arylation, and regiodivergent [3 + 2] cycloaddition with 1,3-dicarbonyls. These methodologies offer a new avenue to fully functionalized six-membered heterocycles.The synthetic utility of AchR was demonstrated in our total synthesis of 28 natural products with a pyran/piperidine moiety. The AchR-based strategy endows the total synthesis with scalability, sustainability, and flexibility. The green and scalable approaches developed in our lab for AchR allow us to easily obtain decagrams of synthetically valuable pyrans and/or piperidines with low risk and low cost from biomass-derived furfuryl alcohol/aldehyde.

Combined Computational and Experimental Study on [5 + 2] Cycloaddition of 2-Trifluoromethylated Oxidopyrylium Species Leading to 1-(Trifluoromethyl)-8-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-en-2-ones

Trifluoromethylation of furfural using the Ruppert-Prakash reagent (TMSCF₃) and subsequent photo-Achmatowicz reaction afforded 6-hydroxy-2-(trifluoromethyl)-2H-pyran-3(6H)-one. After acetylation, the resultant 6-acetoxy-2-(trifluoromethyl)-2H-pyran-3(6H)-one was transformed into various 1-(trifluoromethyl)-8-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-en-2-one derivatives through a base-mediated oxidopyrylium [5 + 2] cycloaddition. The reactivity and selectivity of the 2-trifluoromethylated oxidopyrylium species toward [5 + 2] cycloaddition were analyzed using density functional theory calculations.

Synthetic Studies toward the Berkeleyacetal Core Architecture

Berkeleyacetals are structurally complex natural products that have shown potent anti-inflammatory activity. The presence of a highly dense oxygen functionality and a polycyclic ring system presents significant synthetic challenges. Herein, we report an efficient strategy for the construction of the tetracyclic core system of berkeleyacetal. Our synthetic strategy features two cycloadditions ([4+2] and [5+2]) to forge the tetracyclic core and Achmatowicz rearrangement for the preparation of the cyclization substrates containing B and E rings.

The dehydration of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) to enantiopure dihydroxyethyl acetamidofuran (Di-HAF)

The first multi-gram synthesis of enantiopure dihydroxyethyl acetamidofuran (Di-HAF) is reported. Under optimized conditions, GlcNAc dehydrates in pyridine in the presence of phenylboronic acid and triflic acid to afford Di-HAF in 73% yield and 99.3% ee in just 30 minutes. This protocol opens the door for further research on this bio-renewable building block which is now available as a chiral pool synthon. A plausible mechanism of its formation and of the subsequent dehydration of Di-HAF into well-known 3-acetamido-5-acetylfuran (3A5AF) is proposed.

Manganese-Catalyzed Achmatowicz Rearrangement Using Green Oxidant H2O2

Oxidation reactions have been extensively studied in the context of the transformations of biomass-derived furans. However, in contrast to the vast literature on utilizing the stoichiometric oxidants, such as m-CPBA and NBS, catalytic methods for the oxidative furan-recyclizations remain scarcely investigated. Given this, we report a means of manganese-catalyzed oxidations of furan with low loading, achieving the Achmatowicz rearrangement in the presence of hydrogen peroxide as an environmentally benign oxidant under mild conditions with wide functional group compatibility.

Highly Diastereoselective Intramolecular Asymmetric Oxidopyrylium-olefin [5 + 2] Cycloaddition and Synthesis of 8-Oxabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-enone Containing Ring Systems

We have the investigated base mediated asymmetric intramolecular oxidopyrylium-alkene [5 + 2]-cycloaddition reaction which resulted in the synthesis of functionalized tricyclic ring systems containing an 8-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane core. Intramolecular cycloaddition constructed two new rings, three new stereogenic centers, and provided a tricyclic cycloadduct with high diastereoselectivity and isolated yield. We incorporated an α-chiral center and an alkoxy alkene tether on the substrates and examined the effect of the size of alkyl groups and alkene tether length on diastereoselectivity. The requisite substrates for the oxidopyrylium-alkene cycloaddition reaction were synthesized in a few steps involving alkylation of optically active α-hydroxy amide, furyllithium addition, reduction of resulting ketone, and Achmatowicz reaction followed by acylation of a lactol intermediate. We have proposed stereochemical models for the [5 + 2] cycloaddition reaction via the oxidopyrylium ylide. Interestingly, the alkoxy substituent on the stereocenter and the chain length are responsible for the degree of stereoselectivity of the cycloadduct.

Construction of bridged polycycles through dearomatization strategies

Bridged polycycles are privileged molecular skeletons with wide occurrence in bioactive natural products and pharmaceuticals. Therefore, they have been the pursing target molecules of numerous chemists. The rapid and convenient generation of sp3-rich complex three-dimensional molecular skeletons from simple and easily available aromatics has made dearomatization a highly valuable synthetic tool for the construction of rigid and challenging bridged rings. This review summarizes the-state-of-the-art advances of dearomatization strategies in the application of bridged ring formation, discusses their advantages and limitations and the in-depth mechanism, and highlights their synthetic value in the total synthesis of natural products. We wish this review will provide an important reference for medicinal and synthetic chemists and will inspire further development in this intriguing research area.

Methanol-Driven Oxidative Rearrangement of Biogenic Furans - Enzyme Cascades vs. Photobiocatalysis

The oxidative ring expansion of bio-derived furfuryl alcohols to densely functionalized six-membered O-heterocycles represents an attractive strategy in the growing network of valorization routes to synthetic building blocks out of the lignocellulosic biorefinery feed. In this study, two scenarios for the biocatalytic Achmatowicz-type rearrangement using methanol as terminal sacrificial reagent have been evaluated, comparing multienzymatic cascade designs with a photo-bio-coupled activation pathway.

Electrocatalytic synthesis of heterocycles from biomass-derived furfuryl alcohols

It is very attractive yet underexplored to synthesize heterocyclic moieties pertaining to biologically active molecules from biomass-based starting compounds. Herein, we report an electrocatalytic Achmatowicz reaction for the synthesis of hydropyranones from furfuryl alcohols, which can be readily produced from biomass-derived and industrially available furfural. Taking advantage of photo-induced polymerization of a bipyridyl ligand, we demonstrate the facile preparation of a heterogenized nickel electrocatalyst, which effectively drives the Achmatowicz reaction electrochemically. A suite of characterization techniques and density functional theory computations were performed to aid the understanding of the reaction mechanism. It is rationalized that the unsaturated coordination sphere of nickel sites in our electrocatalyst plays an important role at low applied potential, not only allowing the intimate interaction between the nickel center and furfuryl alcohol but also enabling the transfer of hydroxide from nickel to the bound furfuryl alcohol.

Copper-Catalyzed Stille Cross-Coupling Reaction and Application in the Synthesis of the Spliceostatin Core Structure

An efficient palladium-free Stille cross-coupling reaction of allylic bromides and functionalized organostannylfuran using catalytic copper halide has been developed. The coupling reaction was optimized using CuI and low catalyst loading (down to 5 mol %). The reaction was conveniently carried out at ambient temperature in the presence of inorganic base to afford the coupling product in good-to-excellent yields. The utility of this reaction was demonstrated in the synthesis of a furan with sensitive functionalities. A sulfolene moiety was utilized as a masking group for the sensitive diene. Noyori asymmetric reduction, Achmatowicz reaction, and Kishi reduction steps converted sulfolene to a highly substituted tetrahydropyran intermediate used in the synthesis of the highly potent antitumor agents, spliceostatins, and their derivatives.

C-Aryl Glycosylation: Palladium-Catalyzed Aryl-Allyl Coupling of Achmatowicz Rearrangement Products with Arylboronic Acids

The first Pd-catalyzed arylation of Achmatowicz rearrangement products with arylboronic acids under mild conditions (rt) to provide the synthetically versatile C-aryl dihydropyranones is reported. It is found that the 4-keto group of Achmatowicz products is essential to increase the reactivity of the Pd-π-allyl complex toward arylboronic acids and that phosphine as the palladium ligand would be destructive to the reaction. This new coupling method addresses the major limitations of previous Pd-catalyzed allyl-aryl couplings of 2,3-unsaturated glycosides with an aryl Grignard or aryl zinc reagent.

Modular Approach to Degradable Acetal Polymers Using Cascade Enyne Metathesis Polymerization

A modular synthetic approach to degradable metathesis polymers is presented using acetal-containing enyne monomers. The monomers are prepared in a short and divergent synthetic sequence that features two points of modification to tune polymerization behavior and introduce molecular cargo. Steric and stereochemical elements are critical in the monomer design in order to provide rapid and living polymerizations capable of generating block polymers. The developed polyacetal materials readily undergo pH-dependent degradation in aqueous mixtures, and the rate of hydrolysis can be tuned through post-polymerization modification with triazolinedione click chemistry. This presents a new scaffold for responsive metathesis polymers that may find use in applications that requires controllable breakdown and release of small molecules.

An Overview of Saturated Cyclic Ethers: Biological Profiles and Synthetic Strategies

Saturated oxygen heterocycles are widely found in a broad array of natural products and other biologically active molecules. In medicinal chemistry, small and medium rings are also important synthetic intermediates since they can undergo ring-opening and -expansion reactions. These applications have driven numerous studies on the synthesis of oxygen-containing heterocycles and considerable effort has been devoted toward the development of methods for the construction of saturated oxygen heterocycles. This paper provides an overview of the biological roles and synthetic strategies of saturated cyclic ethers, covering some of the most studied and newly discovered related natural products in recent years. This paper also reports several promising and newly developed synthetic methods, emphasizing 3-7 membered rings.

Biorefinery via Achmatowicz Rearrangement: Synthesis of Pentane-1,2,5-triol from Furfuryl Alcohol

A new scalable synthesis of pentane-1,2,5-triol from the furanics platform has been developed. Excellent yields of up to 92 % are obtained under flow conditions by using readily available catalysts from the existing pool. The strategy exploits the highly functionalized Achmatowicz product as a key intermediate, thus circumventing problems related to the low reactivity of the parent furfural and furfuryl alcohol. Besides expanding the portfolio of biomass-derived C₅ alcohols, this strategy may also be further applied for the establishment of a versatile bio-based chemical platform.

Tandem Achmatowicz Rearrangement and Acetalization of 1-[5-(Hydroxyalkyl)-furan-2-yl]-cyclobutanols Leading to Dispiroacetals and Subsequent Ring-Expansion to Form 6,7-Dihydrobenzofuran-4(5 H)-ones

Herein, we report a one-pot protocol for the synthesis of dispiroacetals 4 bearing a cyclobutane motif via tandem Achmatowicz rearrangement and acetalization of 1-[5-(hydroxyalkyl)-furan-2-yl]-cyclobutanols 3 with m-CPBA as the oxidant and AgSbF₆ as an additive to promote the cyclization step in an aqueous medium. Dispiroacetals 4 could subsequently undergo Lewis acid-catalyzed ring expansion and skeletal rearrangement to afford 6,7-dihydro-5 H-benzofuran-4-ones 5.

Enantioselective total synthesis of decytospolide A and decytospolide B using an Achmatowicz reaction

Enantioselective syntheses of decytospolide A and decytospolide B are described here. The current synthesis highlights an Achmatowicz rearrangement of an optically active furanyl alcohol followed by reduction of the resulting dihydropyranone hemiacetal with BF3·OEt2 and Et3SiH to provide the saturated tetrahydropyranyl alcohol directly. This reduction was investigated with a variety of other Lewis acids. The synthesis also features Noyori asymmetric transfer hydrogenation and Friedel-Crafts acylation. Overall, the synthesis provides ready access to the natural products and may be useful in the preparation of bioactive derivatives.

Enantioconvergent Biocatalytic Redox Isomerization

Alcohol dehydrogenases can act as powerful catalysts in the preparation of optically pure γ‐hydroxy‐δ‐lactones by means of an enantioconvergent dynamic redox isomerization of readily available Achmatowicz‐type pyranones. Imitating the traditionally metal‐mediated “borrowing hydrogen” approach to shuffle hydrides across molecular architectures and interconvert functional groups, this chemoinspired and purely biocatalytic interpretation effectively expands the enzymatic toolbox and provides new opportunities in the assembly of multienzyme cascades and tailor‐made cellular factories.

Selective Functionalization of Achmatowicz Rearrangement Products by Reactions with Potassium Organotrifluoroborates under Transition-Metal-Free Conditions

The repertoire of synthetic transformations of the products of the Achmatowicz rearrangement has been expanded by exploring their reactivity with potassium organotrifluoroborates in the absence of transition metals. Depending on the reaction conditions and the substitution pattern of the starting material, the reaction may lead to the stereoselective synthesis of dihydropyranones (2,6- trans), tetrahydropyranones (2,3- cis-2,6- cis) or functionalized 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds. The method has also been adapted for the one-pot synthesis of functionalized pyrroles.

Two catalytic protocols for Achmatowicz rearrangement using cyclic diacyl peroxides as oxidants

The development of two new catalytic protocols for Achmatowicz rearrangement using cyclic diacyl peroxides as terminal oxidants.

Syntheses and Biological Activities of the LMNO, ent-LMNO, and NOPQR(S) Ring Systems of Maitotoxin

Structure-activity relationship studies of maitotoxin (MTX), a marine natural product produced by an epiphytic dinoflagellate, were conducted using chemically synthesized model compounds corresponding to the partial structures of MTX. Both enantiomers of the LMNO ring system were synthesized via aldol reaction of the LM ring aldehyde and the NO ring ketone. These fragments were derived from a common cis-fused pyranopyran intermediate prepared through a sequence involving Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi reaction, intramolecular oxa-Michael addition, and Pummerer rearrangement. The NOPQR(S) ring system, in which the original seven-membered S ring was substituted with a six-membered ring, was also synthesized through the coupling of the QR(S) ring alkyne and the NO ring aldehyde and the construction of the P ring via 1,4-reduction, dehydration, and hydroboration. The inhibitory activities of the synthetic specimens against MTX-induced Ca²⁺ influx were evaluated. The LMNO ring system and its enantiomer induced 36 and 18% inhibition, respectively, at 300 μM, whereas the NOPQR(S) ring system elicited no inhibitory activity.