Catalysis continued natural product synthesis

Kye-Simeon Masters was bom in Kyogle, northern New South Wales on the summer solstice, 1979. He was greatly interested in science, the visual arts, and literature during his early schoohng. An investigation into the effects of potassium permanganate on some plants in his mother s garden sparked a love for chemistry. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the Australian National University in 2002, and completed both an honors year (2004) and doctorate (2007) in total synthesis with Prof. Bernard Flyrm at Monash University. A postdoctoral year followed with Prof. Bert Maes in Antwerp (2008-2009). He continued his postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Prof. Stefan Erase with an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship (2010-2011). His research interests are focused on natural product synthesis and innovations in transition metal catalysis. 

C-H activation remains an important topic for catalysis even after thirty years of intensive research. The potential shortcuts it offers for many present routes to a wide variety of chemicals that are produced will continue to inspire industrial and academic research [32], An interesting example involves the enantiospecific, coordination-directed C-H bond functionalisation in the synthesis of a natural product, rhazinilam, an anti-tumor agent. The resulting vinyl moiety obtained in the dehydrogenation was subsequently carbonylated to form a cyclic amide [33],... 

The asymmetric synthesis of cyclopropanes has attracted continual efforts in organic synthesis, due to their relevance in natural products and biologically active compounds. The prevalent methods employed include halomethylmetal mediated processes in the presence of chiral auxiliaries/catalysts (Simmons-Smith-type reactions), transition-metal-catalyzed decomposition of diazoalkanes, Michael-induced ring closures, or asymmetric metalations [8-10,46], However, the asymmetric preparation of unfunctionahzed cyclopropanes remains relatively undisclosed. The enantioselective activation of unactivated C-H bonds via transition-metal catalysis is an area of active research in organic chemistry [47-49]. Recently, a few groups investigated the enantioselective synthesis of cyclopropanes by direct functionalization reactions. 

In a continuation of their work on the synthesis of azaphilone natural products and derivatives [135], Porco and co-workers disclosed in 2012 the synthesis of azaphilone-based chemical libraries [136]. Phenolic ortAo-alkynylbenzaldehydes 260 were cycloisomerized via a gold(lll) catalysis in the presence of TFA to afford... 

---