Michael addition natural products

A large number of hindered phenoHc antioxidants are based on the Michael addition of 2,6-di-/ f2 -butylphenol and methyl acrylate under basic catalysis to yield the hydrocinnamate which is a basic building block used in the production of octadecyl 3-(3,5-di-/ f2 butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate, [2082-79-3], tetrakis(methylene-3(3,5-di-/ f2 butyl-4-hydroxylphenyl)propionate)methane [6683-19-8], and many others (63,64). These hindered phenolic antioxidants are the most widely used primary stabilizers in the world and are used in polyolefins, synthetic and natural mbber, styrenics, vinyl polymers, and engineering resins. 2,6-Di-/ f2 -butylphenol is converted to a methylene isocyanate which is trimerized to a triazine derivative... 

With the use of chiral reagents a differentiation of enantiotopic faces is possible, leading to an enantioselective reaction. The stereoselective version of the Michael addition reaction can be a useful tool in organic synthesis, for instance in the synthesis of natural products. 

For amide enolates (X = NR2), with Z geometry, model transition state D is intrinsically favored, but, again, large X substituents favor the formation of nt/-adducts via C. Factors that influence the diastereoselectivity include the solvent, the enolate counterion and the substituent pattern of enolate and enonc. In some cases either syn- or unh-products are obtained preferentially by varying the nature of the solvent, donor atom (enolate versus thioeno-late), or counterion. Most Michael additions listed in this section have not been examined systematically in terms of diastereoselectivity and coherent transition stale models are currently not available. Similar models to those shown in A-D can be used, however all the previously mentioned factors (among others) may be critical to the stereochemical outcome of the reaction. 

Bicychc pyrazinones foimd in several natural products were synthesized via Michael addition of heterocyclic amines to nitro olefin followed by reduction/cyclization of the nitro group of the adduct [20] (Scheme 5). Further elaboration of the C-6 methoxycarbonyl group in pyrazinone to the n-propyl guanidine group could result in the synthesis of indoloperamine. 

Example The lactone (8>, needed for a natural product synthesis, might be made from (6) via epoxide (7) and so a synthesis for (6) was required. Wittlg disconnection reveals a 1,5-dicarbonyl compound (9), best made by Michael addition of a substituted malonate (11) to enone (10). The enone was made by the simple but reliable Grignard route rather than risking a Mannich reaction of unknown regloselectivity. 

Domino Michael/aldol addition processes unquestionably represent the largest group of domino transformations. Numerous synthetic applications - for example, in natural product synthesis as well as for the preparation of other bioactive compounds - have been reported. Thus, the procedure is rather flexible and allows the use of many different substrates [12]. In this process it is possible, in theory, to establish up to two new C-C-bonds and three new stereogenic centers in a single step. For example, Collin s group developed a three-component approach. 

Scheme 2.29. Domino Michael addition/Dieckmann condensation sequences leading to precursors of natural products.

Tridachiahydropyrone belongs to the family of marine polypropionates [69]. Efforts towards its total synthesis have recently led to a revision of the structure with the new proposal 2-147 [70]. The construction of the highly substituted cyclohex-enone moiety 2-146 which could be incorporated into this natural product [71] has been described by Perkins and coworkers (Scheme 2.33) [70, 72]. The conjugate addition/ Dieckmann-type cydization utilizing organocopper species as Michael donors afforded the enantiopure 2-145 in 68% yield. A further methylation of the (3-ketoester moiety in 2-145 followed by an elimination led to the desired cydohex-enone 2-146. 

In a recently published report by MacMillan s group [121] on the enantioselective synthesis of pyrroloindoline and furanoindoline natural products such as (-)-flustramine B 2-219 [122], enantiopure amines 2-215 were used as organocatalysts to promote a domino Michael addition/cyclization sequence (Scheme 2.51). As substrates, the substituted tryptamine 2-214 and a, 3-unsaturated aldehydes were used. Reaction of 2-214 and acrolein in the presence of 2-215 probably leads to the intermediate 2-216, which cyclizes to give the pyrroloindole moiety 2-217 with subsequent hydrolysis of the enamine moiety and reconstitution of the imidazolid-inone catalyst. After reduction of the aldehyde functionality in 2-217 with NaBH4 the flustramine precursor 2-218 was isolated in very good 90 % ee and 78 % yield. 

A SN reaction-based domino route to clerodane diterpenoid tanabalin (2-488) [258] has been described by Watanabe s group (Scheme 2.111) [259]. This natural product is interesting as it exhibits potent insect antifeedant activity against the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella, a severe pest of the cotton plant The domino sequence towards the substituted trans-decalin 2-487 as the key scaffold is induced by an intermolecular alkylation of the (5-ke toes ter 2-484 with the iodoalkane 2-483 followed by an intramolecular Michael addition/aldol condensation (Robin-... 

Pyroglutamic acid is a useful starting material for the synthesis of several natural products, such as pyrrolidine alkaloids, kainoids, and other unnatural amino acids. Interesting chemose-lective Michael additions of anions derived from pyroglutamates have been reported (see Eqs. 4.54 and 4.55).69... 

The Michael addition of nitro compounds is a useful method for the preparation of various natural products. The Michael addition of nitroalkanes to dehydroalanines gives y-nitro-a-amino acids, which provides a convenient synthesis of side-chain modified a-amino acids (Eq. 4.114).152 Transformations of y-nitro-a-amino acid derivatives into a-amino acids occur by reductive denitration (see Section 7.2) into y-oxygenated a-amino acids by the Nef reaction (Eq. 

The Michael addition of nitroalkanes to a,P-unsaturated ketones followed by the Nef reaction has been extensively used as a method for the conjugated addition of acyl anions to enones (see Section 6.1, Nef Reaction). This strategy is one of the best methods for the preparation of 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds.156a h Various natural products have been prepared via this route.157 For example, r/.v-jasmone is prepared from readily available materials, as shown in Scheme 4.19.156f... 

The conversion of primary or secondary nitro compounds into aldehydes or ketones is normally accomplished by use of the Nef reaction, which is one of the most important transformations of nitro compounds. Various methods have been introduced forthis transformation (1) treatment of nitronates with acid, (2) oxidation of nitronates, and (3) reduction of nitroalkenes. Although a comprehensive review is available,3 important procedures and improved methods published after this review are presented in this chapter. The Nef reaction after the nitro-aldol (Henry reaction), Michael addition, or Diels-Alder reaction using nitroalkanes or nitroalkenes has been used extensively in organic synthesis of various substrates, including complicated natural products. Some of them are presented in this chapter other examples are presented in the chapters discussing the Henry reaction (Chapter 3), Michael addition (Chapter 4), and Diels-Alder reaction (Chapter 8). 

Ballini and coworkers have reported a simple synthesis of l-phenylheptane-l,5-dione based on the strategy of the Michael addition and denitration as shown in Eq. 7.69).80 The product is a natural product that is isolated from fungus. 

The Michael addition of heteroatom nucleophiles to nitroalkenes (Section 4.1.1) followed by denitration provides a useful method for the preparation of various natural products. 

Reactions of a,(3-unsaturated acylzirconocene chlorides with stable carbon nucleophiles (sodium salts of dimethyl malonate and malononitrile) at 0°C in THF afford the Michael addition products in good yields (Scheme 5.38). Direct treatment of the reaction mixture with allyl bromide in the presence of a catalytic amount of Cul -2LiCl (10 mol%) in THF at 0 °C gives the allylic ketone in a one-pot reaction. This sequential transformation implies the electronic nature of a,P-unsaturated acylzirconocene chloride to be of type E as shown in Scheme 5.37. 

In the asymmetric total synthesis of the marine natural product, methyl sarcoate, the key step for the introduction of the chirality, was achieved by using an asymmetric Michael addition. Asymmetric addition of /-PrMgCl to aminal ester 93 in the presence of a catalytic amount of Cul, followed by acidic hydrolysis of the aminal function, afforded the chiral aldehyde 94 in 60% yield (Equation 10) <2005TL1263>. 

Substituted quinone ketals, prepared in this manner, serve nicely in annelation strategies leading to natural products. Two are illustrated, one in Scheme 20 leading to (+)-4-demethoxydaunomycinone (87) and (+)-daunomycinone (88) [46-48], the other in Scheme 21 serving as a pathway to a-citromycinone (94). The first calls for a Michael addition of (84) to quinone ketal (83) followed by capture of the intermediate enolate, and leads to annelated... 

The potential application of this catalytic system was illustrated by Takemoto in the application to a tandem conjugate addition towards the asymmetric synthesis of (-)-epibatidine, a biologically active natural product [100, 101], The authors designed an enantioselective double Michael addition of an unsaturated functionalized P-ketoester to a p-aryl nitro-olefm. The asymmetric synthesis of the 4-nitro-cyclohexanones was achieved in both high diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity, with the natural product precursor synthesized in 90% yield and 87.5 12.5 er (Scheme 49). The target (-)-epibatidine was subsequently achieved in six steps. 

Pyridine and its partially or totally unsaturated derivatives such as tetrahydropy-ridines, DHPs, and piperidines are ubiquitous cores found in numerous natural product skeletons and in synthetic compounds of primary interest for synthetic chemistry, agrochemistry, or pharmacology. Among the various methodologies available for the synthesis of these compounds, multicomponent approaches have attracted much attention in the last few years. Most of these sequences are initiated by a Michael addition. 

The aprotic double Michael addition was discovered by R. A. Lee and to synthesize functionalized bicyclo[2.2.2]octanes which may serve as starting materials in natural products syntheses (Table I). These ljicyclo[2,2.2]octanes can also be obtained by a Diels-Alder cycloaddition of 2-trimethyl5iloxy-substituted cyclohexadienes and dienophiles H... 

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