Natural products catalysis

The achiral triene chain of (a//-rrans-)-3-demethyl-famesic ester as well as its (6-cis-)-isoiner cyclize in the presence of acids to give the decalol derivative with four chirai centres whose relative configuration is well defined (P.A. Stadler, 1957 A. Escherunoser, 1959 W.S. Johnson, 1968, 1976). A monocyclic diene is formed as an intermediate (G. Stork, 1955). With more complicated 1,5-polyenes, such as squalene, oily mixtures of various cycliz-ation products are obtained. The 18,19-glycol of squalene 2,3-oxide, however, cyclized in modest yield with picric acid catalysis to give a complex tetracyclic natural product with nine chiral centres. Picric acid acts as a protic acid of medium strength whose conjugated base is non-nucleophilic. Such acids activate oxygen functions selectively (K.B. Sharpless, 1970). 

The aim of this volume is to convince the reader that metal carbene complexes have made their way from organometallic curiosities to valuable - and in part unique - reagents for application in synthesis and catalysis. But it is for sure that this development over 4 decades is not the end of the story there is both a need and considerable potential for functional organometallics such as metal carbon multiple bond species which further offer exciting perspectives in selective synthesis and catalysis as well as in reactions applied to natural products and complex molecules required for chemical architectures and material science. 

Today SCFs are used for natural product extractions, chromatographic separations, pollution prevention, material processing and as solvents for chemical reactions.[75-77] Chemical applications include catalysis, polymerization, enzymatic reactions and organic synthesis. 

Mulzer J, Ohler E (2004) Olefin Metathesis in Natural Product Syntheses. 13 269-366 Muniz K (2004) Planar Chiral Arene Chromium (0) Complexes as Ligands for Asymetric Catalysis. 7 205-223 Murai S, see Kakiuchi F (1999) 3 47-79... 

Examples of fluids confined In pores and spaces of molecular or nanometer dimensions abound In technological and natural products and processes. These Include wetting and lubrication, zeolite supported catalysis, silica gel based chromatrographlc separations, drying of paper... 

Much effort has been directed at developing aqueous Diels-Alder reactions toward the syntheses of a variety of complex natural products. Grieco employed micellar catalysis and pure water as the solvent for the Diels-Alder reaction of dienecarboxylate with a variety of dienophiles. For example, when the Diels-Alder reaction in Scheme 12.3 was carried out in water, a higher reaction rate and reversal of the selectivity were observed, compared with the same reaction in a hydrocarbon solvent (Scheme 12.3).81 Similarly, the reaction of 2,6-dimethylbenzoquinone with sodium ( )-3,5-hexadienoate (generated in situ by the addition of 0.95 equiv sodium bicarbonate to a suspension of the precursor acid in water) proceeded for 1 hour to give a 77% yield of the adduct... 

Particularly important to the pathways of modular synthases is the incorporation of novel precursors, including nonproteinogenic amino acids in NRP systems [17] and unique CoA thioesters in PK and fatty acid synthases [18]. These building blocks expand the primary metabolism and offer practically unlimited variability applied to natural products. Noteworthy within this context is the contiguous placement of biosynthetic genes for novel precursors within the biosynthetic gene cluster in prokaryotes. Such placement has allowed relatively facile elucidation of biosynthetic pathways and rapid discovery of novel enzyme mechanisms to create such unique building blocks. These new pathways offer a continued expansion of the enzymatic toolbox available for chemical catalysis. 

Yang12 has effected an intramolecular asymmetric carbonyl-ene reaction between an alkene and an a-keto ester. Reaction optimization studies were performed by changing the Lewis acid, solvent, and chiral ligand. Ligand-accelerated catalysis was observed for Sc(OTf)3, Cu(OTf)2, and Zn(OTf)2 (Equation (6)). The resulting optically active m-l-hydroxyl-2-allyl esters provide an entry into multiple natural products. 

Hoveyda in his essay on asymmetric catalysis in target-oriented synthesis (p 145). The concept of catalysis-based total synthesis, in which a series of catalytic enantioselective reactions are employed in combination with other catalytic reactions, is emerging as the desirable way to make complex natural products and medidnally-important target compounds. 

Keywords Asymmetric Catalysis a Natural Product Synthesis a Chiral Metal-Based Complexes a Enantioselective C-C Bond Formation a Enantioselective C-O Bond Formation... 

The addition of an enolsilane to an aldehyde, commonly referred to as the Mukaiyama aldol reaction, is readily promoted by Lewis acids and has been the subject of intense interest in the field of chiral Lewis acid catalysis. Copper-based Lewis acids have been applied to this process in an attempt to generate polyacetate and polypropionate synthons for natural product synthesis. Although the considerable Lewis acidity of many of these complexes is more than sufficient to activate a broad range of aldehydes, high selectivities have been observed predominantly with substrates capable of two-point coordination to the metal. Of these, benzy-loxyacetaldehyde and pyruvate esters have been most successful. 

D-Ribono-1,4-lactone (1) readily condenses with acetone, under acidic catalysis with mineral acids or anhydrous copper sulfate, to give 2,3-0-isopropylidene-D-ribono-1,4-lactone (16a), which was employed for the synthesis of 5-deoxy and 5-0-substituted derivatives of D-ribono- 1,4-lactone and D-ribitol (24). Acid removal of the 1,3-dioxolane protecting group gave products having probable inhibitory activity of arabinose 5-phosphate isomerase (25). Other applications of 16a for the synthesis of natural products will be discussed later. 

Catalytic methods, chemo- as well as bio-catalysis, are of vital importance in the conversion of natural products into derivatives (semi-synthesis). In chemo-catalysis conventional catalysts, such as mineral acids, are being replaced by recyclable solid catalysts. Further progress is also expected in cascade processes in which synthesis steps are combined to one pot methods. 

Lewis acid catalysis is not limited to cases in which increased yields or enhanced selectivities are desired. Lewis acids offer also the possibility to induce chiral information leading to enantioselective product formation. The enantioselective induction by chiral Lewis acids found widespread application in organic synthesis, especially in the synthesis of natural products with many chiral centres. An enantioselective Diels-Alder reaction is the key step in the synthesis of an iodolactone prostaglandine precursor (Scheme 6).88... 

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