Natural products cascade reactions

The palladium-catalyzed cyclization reaction was used in the syntheses of several natural products such as siccanin [86], streptazolin [87], and ceratopi-canol (through a diyne, diene cascade) [80]. The production of the streptazolin precursor 149 through reductive cyclization of 150 is illustrative of the complexity that the reaction can provide (Eq. 29) [87]. 

A systematic exploration of the intramolecular [4+2]/[3+2] cycloaddition cascade of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles was described. The studies permit the use of unsymmetrical dienophiles, dipolarophiles, and oxadiazoles as well as to control the cycloaddition regioselectivity and diastereoselectivity. The scope and utility of the reaction were defined <2006JA10589>. The tandem intramolecular [4+2]/[3+2] cycloaddition cascade reaction of 1,3,4-oxadiazole was applied to the syntheses of a series of natural products including a total synthesis of (-)- and ent-(+)-vindoline <2006JA10596>. 

Keyword Carbocycles a Cascade Reactions a Cycloadditions a Combinatorial Chemistry a Domino Reactions a Enantioselective Transformations a Ene Reactions a Eieterocydes a Natural products a Preservation of Resources and Environment a Sigmatropic Rearrangements a Tandem Reactions a Transition Metal-Catalyzed Transformations... 

Sequences (or cascades) of radical reactions involving the 5-endo-trig cyclization of silyl radical to an allyloxy-type substituent as the key step have been developed and applied to the synthesis of natural products [7 11]. The concept and the sequence of radical reactions is outlined in Scheme 6.7. A radical of... 

As model studies and radical reactivity control have improved, the so-called cascade (or domino) reactions have emerged as a very powerful method for natural product synthesis, since they offer a unique route to prepare complex backbones from appropriately designed but quite simple precursors. A few selected reactions will be presented here. 

Cascade Addition-Cyclization Reactions Given the importance of cascade reactions in modem chemical synthesis, the MacMillan group has proposed expansion of the realm of iminium catalysis to include the activation of tandem bond-forming processes, with a view toward the rapid constraction of natural products. In this context, the addition-cyclization of tryptamines with a,p-unsaturated aldehydes in the presence of imidazolidinone catalysts 11 or 15 has been accomplished to provide pyrroloindoline adducts in high yields and with excellent enantioselectivities (Scheme 11.3a). This transformation is successful... 

McDonald and coworkers studied a series of tandem endo-selective and stereospecific oxacyclization of polyepoxides by reaction with Lewis acid [92-95]. Polyepoxides, such as 50, can be obtained from the epoxidation of triene 49 with ketone 26 (Scheme 8). This cascade cyclization of polyepoxides provides an efficient method to synthesize substituted polycyclic ether structures, which are present in a number of biologically active marine natural products. 

Aromatization can also be accomplished by oxidative cascade reactions-a strategy often utilized by natural product biosynthesis [33]. For example, the phenoxazinone chromophore of actinomycin was proposed to be generated by a six-electron oxidation of aminophenols catalyzed by a copper-containing oxidase (Scheme 7.8) [34]. 

The total synthesis of litseaverticillols D, F and G (172 and 173), which are natural products with anti-HIV activity, was achieved recently via a singlet oxygen initiated cascade proposed to be biomimetic (Scheme 64). Finally, allylic alcohols 174a and 174b (Scheme 64) were isolated in a 4/1 ratio via a stereoselective singlet oxygen ene reaction. Stereoisomer 174a is an intermediate in the synthetic route of staurosporine, which is a bioactive alkaloid with hypotensive, antimicrobial and cell cytotoxic properties. 

The cascade sequences presented herein demonstrate unprecedented modes of reactivity in Nazarov chemistry that are initiated by the silver(I)-promoted ring opening of halocyclopropanes. The ease with which the gem-dichlorocyclopropanes can be prepared, the relatively mild reaction conditions, and the efficiency of these processes make these substrates attractive intermediates for an application in natural product synthesis. 

As a reductive cascade reaction with Sml2, treatment of methylenecyclopropyl ketone (310) with Sml2 in a mixture of HMPA and f-BuOH at 0 °C generates bicyclic alcohols (311a) and (311b) which are the skeleton of a natural product, paeonilactone, as shown in eq. 3.130. 

The formation of /3-hydroxyselenides through the reaction of a selenium-stabilized carbanion with carbonyl compounds has been extensively used also in the context of natural product synthesis. The phenylselenoalkyllithium compound 115 was reacted with aldehyde 116 to afford /3-hydroxyselenide 117. In a radical cyclization cascade the tricyclic molecule 118 was generated in good yields and subsequent transformations led to the synthesis of pentalenene 119 (Scheme 28).1 9 Also other natural products like zizaene and khusimone have been synthesized via a similar route.200... 

These allylpalladation-acylpalladation cascade bicyclization reactions have been applied mainly by Oppolzer to the synthesis of various natural products including (zb)-pentalenolactone E methyl ester [152], 3-isorauniti-cine [153], ( )-coriolin [154], and ( )-hirsutene [155]. Their application to the syntheses of [5.5.5.5]fenestrane derivatives by Keese [156,157] (Scheme 63) is also noteworthy. 

Multiple cyclo olefinic relays are also suitable substrates to promote cascades of RCM-ROM-RCM reactions [9] (Scheme 16). Thus, W-protected polycyclic amines have been synthesized in moderate to good yields, but an increasing number of cyclopentene relays gave rise to less efficient cascade transformations. This ring rearrangement metathesis (RCM-ROM-RCM) has been extensively reported by Blechert and co-workers for its application in the synthesis of natural products [30-34]. 

A similar type of cascade reaction has been carried out with cyclic alkenes bearing only one olefinic side chain to obtain substituted heterocycles via ruthenium-catalyzed ring closing-ring opening metathesis (RCM-ROM) reactions. The preparation of enantiomerically pure cis- or trans-a,a -disubstituted piperidines has been achieved in the same yield for the two diastereoisomers [35] (Scheme 17). This reaction has also been used as a key step for the synthesis of natural products [36-39]. 

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