Stereoselective Formal Synthesis of Crocacin C via Prins Cyclization

Synthetic Applications of Prins Cyclization in Natural Product Syntheses

The natural products having tetrahydropyran unit with multiple chiral centers serve as magnificent building blocks for various active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). 'Prins cyclization is one of the wonderful strategies to construct tetrahydropyran unit stereoselectively in asymmetric synthesis. In this account, we discuss our research efforts toward the synthesis of various natural products from the past two decades (2005-2020) by using Prins cyclization as a key step. Further, the synthetic utility of this reaction was investigated and well demonstrated on various molecules successfully.

Step-economic synthesis of (+)-crocacin C: a concise crotylboronation/[3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement approach

The step-economic total synthesis of (+)-crocacin C has been achieved in 20% yield from commercially available starting materials. This approach requires the isolation of only 8 intermediates and can provide a reliable supply of (+)-crocacin C for the development of new antifungal and crop protection agents.

Enantioselective synthesis of (+)-crocacin C. An example of a highly challenging mismatched double asymmetric δ-stannylcrotylboration reaction

A concise, enantioselective synthesis of (+)-crocacin C is described, featuring a highly diastereoselective mismatched double asymmetric δ-stannylcrotylboration of the stereochemically demanding chiral aldehyde 9 with the bifunctional crotylborane reagent (S)-E-10. The total synthesis of (+)-crocacin C was accomplished in seven steps (longest linear sequence) starting from commercially available precursors.

Mechanistic Analysis of Oxidative C-H Cleavages Using Inter- and Intramolecular Kinetic Isotope Effects

A series of monodeuterated benzylic and allylic ethers were subjected to oxidative carbon-hydrogen bond cleavage to determine the impact of structural variation on intramolecular kinetic isotope effects in DDQ-mediated cyclization reactions. These values are compared to the corresponding intermolecular kinetic isotope effects that were accessed through subjecting mixtures of non-deuterated and dideuterated substrates to the reaction conditions. The results indicate that carbon-hydrogen bond cleavage is rate determining and that a radical cation is most likely a key intermediate in the reaction mechanism.