Cross-coupling reactions natural product synthesis

Alkenylboronic acids constitute another class of highly useful synthetic intermediates. They are particularly popular as partners in the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction for the synthesis of dienes and other unsaturated units present in many natural products (Section 1.5.3.1). Several methods are available for the synthesis of a wide range of alkenylboronic acids with different substitution patterns. These approaches are summarized in Figure 1.21 and are described in the sub-sections below. 

For overviews of applications of the Heck reaction in natural products synthesis, see (a) Link, J. T. Overman, L. E. In Metal-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reactions, Diederich, F., Stang, P. J., Eds. Wiley-VCH New York, 1998 Chapter 6. (b) Brase, S. de Meijere, A. In Metal-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reactions Diederich, F., Stang, P. J., Eds. Wiley New York, 1998 Chapter 3.6. (c) Nicolaou, K. C. Sorensen, E. J. Classics in Total Synthesis VCH New York, 1996 Chapter 31. These authors refer to the Heck reaction as "one of the true "power tools" of contemporary organic synthesis" (p. 566). 

Negishi E, Tan Z (2005) Diastereoselective, Enantioselective, and Regioselective Carbo-alumination Reactions Catalyzed by Zirconocene Derivatives. 8 139-176 Netherton M, Fu GC (2005)Palladium-catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reactions of Unactivated Alkyl Electrophiles with Organometallic Compounds. 14 85-108 NicolaouKC, KingNP, He Y (1998) Ring-Closing Metathesis in the Synthesis of EpothUones and Polyether Natural Products. 1 73-104 Nishiyama H (2004) Cyclopropanation with Ruthenium Catalysts. 11 81-92 Noels A, Demonceau A, Delaude L (2004) Ruthenium Promoted Catalysed Radical Processes toward Fine Chemistry. 11 155-171... 

These processes have flourished, mainly due to their selectivity and versatility, to the point where cross-coupling chemistry is often the initial thinking of organic chemists in synthetic and retro-synthetic approaches [2]. In fact, nowadays it is difficult to find a contribution in fine chemical or natural product synthesis where these molecular assembly tools are not employed. This is often due to the simple preparation and handling of the reaction partners as well as their relative compatibility with several functional groups. 

Chiral butenolides are valuable synthons towards y-butyrolactone natural products [37] and have also been successfully applied to the synthesis of paraconic acids. The lactone 91, readily available from the hydroxyamide (rac)-90 by enzymatic resolution [38] followed by iodolactonization, proved to be an especially versatile key intermediate. Copper(I)-catalyzed cross coupling reactions with Grignard reagents allowed the direct introduction of alkyl side chains, as depicted in 92a and 92b (Scheme 13) [39, 40]. Further... 

The sequential approach is also common in proposals written by synthetic chemists (a multistep synthesis is inherently step by step). Vyvyan (excerpt 13N), for example, proposes a strategy to synthesize a select group of heliannuols (alleo-pathic natural products isolated from the sunflower) in an optically pure form. One approach that he will explore involves enantioselective cross-coupling reactions between an alkyl zinc reagent and an aryl bromide. He begins with experiments that will utilize recently developed catalysts and produce products with known optical rotation data. Subsequent reactions are described that will lead potentially to the desired stereospecific heliannuols A and D. 

The transition metal catalyzed synthesis of seven membered and larger heterocycles attracted considerably less attention than the preparation of their five and six membered analogues. Typical examples in this chapter include the formation of heterocycles in insertion reactions, or through carbon-heteroatom bond formation. Although the formation of some macrocyclic natural products was also achieved in cross-coupling reactions they will not be discussed in detail. 

Qudguiner s group enlisted a combination of directed metalation and a Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction for the construction of heteroaryl natural products [49]. One example was the total synthesis of bauerine B (64), a fl-carboline natural product [50]. Ort/zo-lithiation of 2,3-dichloro-iV-pivaloylaminobenzene (61) was followed by reaction with trimethylborate to provide boronic acid 62 after hydrolysis. The Suzuki reaction between 62 and 3-fluoro-4-iodopyridine led to the desired biaryl product 63 contaminated with the primary amine (ca. 30%), both of which were utilized in the total synthesis of bauerine B (64). Another fl-carboline natural product, the antibiotic eudistomin T (65), and a few other hydroxy 3-carbolines have also been synthesized in the same fashion [3, 51]. 

As an obvious extension of the benzoin reaction, the cross-coupling of aldehydes or of aldehydes and ketones was first achieved with the thiamine-dependent enzyme benzoylformate decarboxylase. This linked a variety of mostly aromatic aldehydes to acetaldehyde to form the corresponding a-hydroxy ketones, both chemo- and stereoselectively [31]. Synthetic thiazolium salts, developed by Stetter and co-workers and similar to thiamine itself [32], have been successfully used by Suzuki et al. for a diastereoselective intramolecular crossed aldehyde-ketone benzoin reaction during the course of an elegant natural product synthesis [33], Stereocontrol was exerted by pre-existing stereocenters in the specific substrates, the catalysts being achiral. 

S. R. Chemler, D. Trauner, S. J. Danishefsky, The R-Alkyl Suzuki-Miayura Cross-Coupling Reaction Development, Mechanistic Study, and Applications in Natural Product Synthesis, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2001, 40, 4544-4568. 

New reports of organozirconium-organic halide cross-coupling reactions have almost completely stopped. Nevertheless, the palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of vinyl zir-conocenes (from alkyne hydrozirconation) with vinyl halides has been employed in the synthesis of the lipid isobutylamide natural product anacyclin (equation 98). ... 

The synthesis of 2 ,4-disubstituted 2,4 -bithiazoles by a series of two regioselective cross coupling reactions has been reported. This bithiazole unit has been found in a number of natural products such as the bleomycins and macrocyclic antibiotics such as cyclothiazomycin. 

Cross-coupling reactions have also seen increasing utilization in the synthesis of natural products,as well as in the generation of combinatorial libraries for both pharmaceuticah and materials " applications. Finally, other reviews note the importance of cross-coupling reactions in the formation of porphyrins as well as in the industrial synthesis of commercial pharmaceuticals and industrial fine chemicals. 

A direct and satisfactory procedure for tertiary alkyl-alkynyl coupling has been developed by Negishi and Baba, who used trialkynylaluminums readily obtainable from the corresponding alkynyllithiums and anhydrous AICI3 [92]. For instance, tris(l-hexynyl)aluminum underwent a remarkably clean reaction with 1-adamantyl bromide to produce cross-coupled product 96 in 96 % yield. It is noteworthy that the reaction enables novel geminal alkyl-alkynylation of ketones this reaction should find a considerable application in natural product synthesis (Sch. 60). 

Chemler, S. R., Trauner, D., Danishefsky, S. J. The B-alkyl Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction development, mechanistic study, and applications in natural product synthesis. Angewandte Chemie, International Edition 2001,40,4544-4568. 

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