Natural products stereoselective formation

Successful applications of these stereocontrolled conjugate additions have led to asymmetric syntheses of several natural products such as (+ )-cuparenone (39) which involves formation of a quaternary carbon center81, (- )-/ -vetivone (40)8° and steroidal equilenin 4182 the wavy lines in these structures indicate that C—C bond formed stereoselectively under the influence of a temporarily-attached stereogenic sulfoxide auxiliary group. 

Since the seminal contributions by Nugent and RajanBabu the field of reductive C - C bond formation after epoxide opening via electron transfer has developed at a rapid pace. Novel catalytic methodology, enantio- and stereoselective synthesis and numerous applications in the preparation of biologically active substances and natural products have evolved. In brief, a large repertoire of useful and original reactions is available. These reactions are waiting to be applied in a complex context ... 

Cycloaddition reactions, which increase molecular complexity by formation of a cyclic compound and, simultaneously, two C-C or C-X bonds [1], are among the most widely used reactions in organic synthesis. The reactions are also regio- and stereoselective. For these reasons, such processes are usually the key step in the multistep synthesis of natural products. 

For the generation of several contiguous chiral centers, two alternative key step reactions can be applied (i) stereoselective CC-bond formation and (ii) stereoselective functionalization of compounds having already the required carbon skeleton. In the de novo-synthesis of carbohydrates and related natural products via inverse-type hetero-Diels-Alder reactions both of these principles are especially well documented as will be shown below (8-10). ... 

The stereoselectivity of olefin formation is crucial to the utility of CM. To date, a general metathesis catalyst capable of effecting diastereomeric control over a broad range of substrates has yet to be realized. Of particular interest is the development of a Z-selective catalyst, as Z olefins are a prevalent structural motif within both natural products and pharmaceutical agents.Current examples of Z-selective olefin CM have proved to be substrate dependent. These include the CM of enynes with alkenes, acrylonitrile the CM reaction... 

A stereoselective total synthesis of dendrobatide toxin 251 D was developed by Overman et al.237) involving an epoxidation of the (S)-proline derivative (237) to furnish the oxirane (238) as major product. In their approach towards the total synthesis of the same natural product Thomas et al.238) investigated the stereoselectivity of the epoxide formation from (S)-5-acetylpyrrolidin-2-one and dimethyloxosulfonium methylide. A diastereoselectivity of d.s. 50-60% was achieved 238. ... 

Perhydropyrrolo[l,2-fc]isoxazoles result from 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of cyclic nitrones with alkenes. The high regio- and stereoselectivity of this cycloaddition has been used to control the stereochemistry in the synthesis of natural products. As one example, pyrroline N-oxide (70) and 3,4-dimethoxystyrene gave a diastereomeric mixture of pyrroloisoxazoles (71) and (72), in nearly quantitative yield with preferential formation of (71). 

The use of isopropylidine acetals (112) as tethers in the intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions of dienes with alkenes facilitates the formation of civ-fused cycloadducts (113) from an endo transition state (Scheme 41).218 The intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of 4-[tris-(2-mcthylcthyl)silyl]oxy-2//-thiopyran derivatives with potential dienophiles tethered at C(2), C(3), C(5), and C(6) positions yielded cycloadducts when the dienophiles were activated with a carbomethoxy group.219 By the substitution of a phenylsulfonyl group on the dienophile of 2-benzopyran-3-ones, it is possible to enhance exo addition during intramolecular Diels-Alder cyclizations to yield a predominance of trans-fused hexaphenanthrenes related to natural products.220 The intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of 2-furfuryl fumarates has been investigated by molecular mechanics (SIBFA)/continuum reaction field computations.221 The intramolecular 4 + 2-photo-cycloaddition of A-benzylcinnamamides (114) in the presence of C(,H6 gives 3-azatricyclo[5.2.2.01,5]undeca-8,10-dien-4-ones (115) with high stereoselectivity (Scheme 42).222... 

In summary, a stereoselective 10-step total synthetic route to the antimalarial sesquiterpene (+)-artemisinin (1) was developed. Crucial elements of the approach included diastereoselective trimethylsilylanion addition to a,p-unsaturated aldehyde 16, and a tandem Claisen ester-enolate rearrangement-dianion alkylation to afford the diastereomerically pure erythro acid 41. Finally, acid 41 was converted in a one-pot procedure involving sequential treatment with ozone followed by wet acidic silica gel to effect a complex process of dioxetane formation, ketal deprotection, and multiple cyclization to the natural product (+)-artemisinin (1). The route was designed for the late incorporation of a carbon-14 label and the production of a variety of analogues for structure-activity-relationship (SAR) studies. We were successful in preparing two millimoles of l4C-l73 which was used for conversion to I4C-arteether for metabolism75 and mode of action studies.76,77... 

The structurally novel antimitotic agent curacin A (1) was prepared with an overall yield of 2.5 % for the longest linear synthesis. Three of the four stereogenic centers were built up using asymmetric transformations one was derived from a chiral pool substrate. Key steps of the total synthesis are a hydrozirconation - transmetalation protocol, the stereoselective formation of the acyclic triene segment via enol triflate chemistry and another hydrozirconation followed by an isocyanide insertion. For the preparation of the heterocyclic moiety of curacin A (1) the oxazoline - thiazoline conversion provides efficient access to the sensitive marine natural product. 

Von Zelewsky has published many examples of the stereoselective synthesis of metal complexes using what he refers to as chiragen ligands. These are enantiopure natural compounds synthesized from the natural product (—)-a-pinene, which is combined with species such as bipyridine units to provide impressive control of metal-centered chirality.159-161 In this section, we will focus on the determination of absolute configurations in terms of stereospecific formation from different points of view in connection with absolute conformations in the ligands. 

The wide range covered by nearly forty contributions ensures a concise overview of the latest developments in the field, w hethcr they be new methods of C-C bond formation or race-mization, asymmetric phase-transfer catalysis or stereoselective metathesis reactions, solid phase reactions or particularly elegant syntheses of challenging natural products. 

The Shi epoxidation has found several applications in total synthesis [15]. Particularly attractive are examples in which it has been used to establish the stereochemistry of polyepoxides which can undergo cascade cyclizations to polyether products, mimicking possible biosynthetic pathways. An example is the construction of the tetahydrofuran rings of the natural product glabrescol via highly stereoselective formation of the tetraepoxide 10 from the polyene 9 (Scheme 12.6) [22]. 

In general, the stereoelectronic influence of substituents in [2 + 2]-photocycload-dition reactions is minor, and the preferred ground-state conformation often accounts for the formation of the major diastereoisomer. Inspection of molecular models and force field calculations provide a good picture of possible transition states leading via 1,4-biradicals to cyclobutane products. The total synthesis of (+)-guanacastepene represents another recent example for the use of stereoselective intramolecular cyclopentenone-olefin photocycloadditions in natural products synthesis [32]. 

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