Natural product synthesis intramolecular reactions

The Heck reaction, a palladium-catalyzed vinylic substitution, is conducted with olefins and organohalides or pseudohalides are frequently used as reactants [15, 16], One of the strengths of the method is that it enables the direct monofunctionalization of a vinylic carbon, which is difficult to achieve by other means. Numerous elegant transformations based on Heck chemistry have been developed in natural and non-natural product synthesis. Intermolecular reactions with cyclic and acyclic al-kenes, and intramolecular cyclization procedures, have led to the assembly of a variety of complex and sterically congested molecules. 

The intramolecular Sakurai reaction allows for the synthesis of functionalized bicyclic systems. By proper choice of the reaction conditions, especially of the Lewis acid or fluoride reagent used, high stereoselectivity can be achieved, which is an important aspect for its applicability in natural products synthesis. 

We commenced our own approach toward ( )-phomactin A with an intent to feature an oxa-[3 + 3] annulation strategy [24—28] that was developed in our lab [29-32] and, in particular, an intramolecular annulation. While oxa-[3 + 3] annulations or related reaction manifolds [33, 34] are known and can be traced back more than six decades [35], an intramolecular variants of this reaction were not known [24—28]. There were no applications of intramolecular oxa-[3 + 3] annulations in natural product synthesis [27, 28, 36] until our approach toward phomactin A was disclosed. Subsequently, an account toward ( )-likonide B was reported by Trauner [36e],... 

When the alkynyl substrate possesses a nucleophilic functionality, intramolecular solvomercuration reactions can sometimes be observed. These reactions, which result in the formation of a heterocycle, have been used in the total synthesis of natural products. For example, reaction of 114 with Hg(OAc)2 affords the benzofuran derivative 115, which is an important intermediate for the synthesis of various neolignans (Equation (42)).154 155... 

The use of vinylallenes as the diene component in Diels-Alder reactions is very common, thus resulting in their ubiquitous use in natural product synthesis. A vinylal-lene has even been proposed by Schreiber and Kiessling [10] as a biogenetic intermediate in the synthesis of the skeleton of esperamicin A (32 —> 33). Their synthetic approach to esperamicin A (34) was modeled after this biogenetic proposal in which a Type II intramolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition was used to gain access to the highly unsaturated bicyclic core of 34 (Scheme 19.8) [10]. 

However, from the outset of this field, the limitations as well as the potentials of this cycloaddition were also apparent. For instance, the efficiency of this cycloaddition in an intermolecular manner was typically low unless strained olefins were used. Moreover, the use of unsymmetrical alkenes led to a mixture of the cyclopentenone regioisomers. Synthetic utility of this reaction is considerably expanded by the emergency of the intramolecular reaction. Schore introduced the first intramolecular version forming several rings simultaneously, which is now the most popular synthetic strategy in natural product synthesis because of its conceptual and operational simplicity. Additionally, the regiochemistry is no longer the problem in this variation. 

It is interesting to note that the oxa-analogous Michael addition was reported for the first time in 1878 by Loydl et al. [19] in their work on the synthesis of artificial malic acid, which was five years ahead of the discovery of the actual Michael reaction described first by Komnenos [20], Claisen [21], and later Michael in 1887 [22] as one of the most important methods for C—C bond formation. In continuation of the early work on the oxa-Michael addition [23], the inter- and intramolecular additions of alkoxides to enantiopure Michael acceptors has been investigated, leading to the diastereo- and enantioselective synthesis of the corresponding Michael adducts [24]. The intramolecular reaction has often been used as a key step in natural product synthesis, for example as by Nicolaou et al. in the synthesis of Brevetoxin B in 1989 [25]. The addition of oxygen nucleophiles to nitro-alkenes was described by Barrett et al. [26], Kamimura et al. [27], and Brade and Vasella [28]. 

The application of intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition reactions to the synthesis of complex natural products has recently come to be recognized as a very powerful synthetic tool, one equally akin to the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction in its potential scope of application.69 This is particularly the case with nitrile oxides and the 1NOC reaction has been extensively utilized in total synthesis.70 The intramolecular nitrile oxide cycloaddition (INOC) generally displays exceptional regio- and stereo-chemical control which undoubtedly accounts for the popularity of this reaction. Internal cycloadditions of nitrile oxides have been found to offer a powerful solution to many problems in complex natural product synthesis.48 For example, Confalone and coworkers have utilized the INOC reaction for the stereospecific synthesis of the key amino alcohol (60), which was converted in five subsequent steps to ( )-biotin (61 Scheme 14).71... 

The Heck reaction of 1,3 -diene systems via 7r-allylpalladium is also useful. This cyclization, which forms very congested quaternary carbon centers involving the intramolecular insertion of di-, tri- and tetrasubstituted alkenes, is particularly useful for natural products synthesis. In the synthesis of morphine, bis-cyclization of the octahydroisoquninoline precursor 112 by the intramolecular Heck reaction proceeded using palladium trifluoroacetate and 1,2,2,6,6-pentamethylpiperidine (PMP). The insertion of the diene system forms the 7i-allylpalladium intermediate 113, which attacks the phenol intramolecularly to form the benzofuran ring 114. Based on this method, the elegant total syntheses of (—)- and (+)-dihydrocodeinone, and (—)- and (+)-morphine (115) have been achieved [50],... 

These 107i-systems are isoelectronic with the pentalene dianion and have been of some theoretical interest. 1,5-Diheteropentalene systems are very popular substrates for the investigation of inter- and intramolecular cycloaddition reactions due to their diene character. Such cycloaddition processes allow for a rapid entry into complex polyheterocyclic rings and makes these compounds potentially useful for natural product synthesis. 

CONTENTS The Synthesis of Seven-Membered-Rings General Strategies and the Design and Development of a New Class of Cycloaddition Reactions, Paul A. Wender and Jennifer A. Love. Recent Advances in Diels -Alder Cycloadditions of 2-Pyrones, Benjamin T. Woodard and Gary H. Posner. The Inter- and Intramolecular [4 + 4] Photocycloaddition of 2-Pyridones and Its Application to Natural Product Synthesis, Scott McN. Sieburth. 3 + 4 Annulations Between Rhodi- J s... 

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. 

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]. 

Snider et al. have synthesised the antiinsectan ( )-leporin [496] 7-26 using the domino-Knoevenagel-hetero Diels-Alder sequence. The intermediate 1-oxa-1,3-butadiene 7-25 was formed in situ by condensation of the pyridone 7-23 and the dienal 7-24. Subsequently, a hetero Diels-Alder reaction occurred accompanied by minor side reactions. Thus, the desired cycloadduct 7-27 was formed only in moderate yield as 5 1 mixture with its trans-fused diastereomer (Fig. 7-6). Functionalisation of the nitrogen atom yielded the natural product. A similar reaction sequence occurred in the synthesis of the structurally related free radical scavenger ( )-pyridoxatin, however, in this approach the hetero Diels-Alder reaction represented only a side reaction competing with the desired intramolecular ene reaction [497]. 

In conjunction with work in natural products synthesis, the controlled installation of stereocenters alpha to indole C2 remains of significant interest. In their approach to Clausena alkaloids, e.g., (-)-(5R, 6S)-balasubramide, Wang and co-workers employed an intramolecular 8-CMc/o-epoxide-arene cyclization for installation of a C2-C3 8-membered lactam moiety with excellent enantioselectivity <07OL1387>. The Chen group has reported a diastereoselective reaction between 2-lithioindoles and chiral A -terf-but ane sulfinyl... 

Chelidonine, a representative benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid (1,2), was synthesized as the first application of this reaction in natural product synthesis (145). Initial thermal opening of the four-membered ring in 299 led to the formation of a transient -o-quinodimethane (301), which has a dienamide structure in the diene part and is then trapped by the suitably positioned multiple bond in the same molecule. They applied this intramolecular reaction to the acetylenic cyclobutene 300 for the synthesis of ( )-chelidonine (Scheme 110). 

Sufficient information about the reaction has been gathered to allow fairly accurate predictions of yield as well as of stereo- and regioselectivity.176177 The reaction proceeds via the formation of hexacarbonylalkyne-dicobalt complexes and is remarkably tolerant of functional groups in both the alkyne and the alkene. The intramolecular Pauson-Khand reaction is an effective way of preparing bi- and polycyclic systems, and the cyclization of 1,6-heptenyne derivatives to give bicyclo[3.3.0]oct-l-en-3-ones has been the most popular application of the Pauson-Khand reaction in natural product synthesis [Eq. (17)]. 

Natural products, synthesis via aziridine intermediates, 39, 181 New developments in the chemistry of oxazolones, 21, 175 Nitration of phenyl-substituted heterocycles, 58, 215 Nitrenes, carbenes and, intramolecular reactions of, 28, 231... 

The intramolecular Heck reaction has been well established as a powerful tool for the construction of complex polycyclic ring systems in the context of natural product synthesis. 

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