Natural products, synthesis Mannich reaction

The condensation reaction of a CH-acidic compound—e.g. a ketone 3—with formaldehyde 1 and ammonia 2 is called the Mannich reaction, the reaction products 4 are called Mannich bases. The latter are versatile building blocks in organic synthesis, and of particular importance in natural products synthesis. 

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. 

Officially, the history of MCRs dates back to the year 1850, with the introduction of the Strecker reaction (S-3CR) describing the formation of a-aminocyanides from ammonia, carbonyl compounds, and hydrogen cyanide [4]. In 1882, the reaction progressed to the Hantzsch synthesis (H-4CR) of 1,4-dihydropyridines by the reaction of amines, aldehydes, and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds [5], Some 25 years later, in 1917, Robinson achieved the total synthesis of the alkaloid tropinone by using a three-component strategy based on Mannich-type reactions (M-3CR) [6]. In fact, this was the earliest application of MCRs in natural product synthesis [7]. 

The first example of the application of the Mannich reaction to natural product synthesis is attributed to Robinson in his synthesis of tropinone R. Robinson, J. Chem. Soc. 1917, 762. 

It is worth noting that the Shibasaki group also developed a highly useful protocol for asymmetric Mannich-tyip reactions (556), which was used successfully in the synthesis of biologically active molecules like nemonapride, an antipsychotic agent developed by Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical. Since such a useful application of this methodology is not a bom fide natural product synthesis, a detailed discussion is beyond the scope of this contribution and the interested reader is referred to Shibasaki s original report (556). 

I will next move to reseipine. One reason is that, in all approaches to this alkaloid, the final reaction used to assemble the pentacyclic skeleton is formally a Mannich-type reaction (a Bischler-Napieralski reaction or a Pictet-Spengler reaction). hi2 more honest reason is that this alkaloid is a classical target in natural product synthesis that has retained the interest of synthetic organic chemists for more than a half-century, including myself As we will see, there are some good lessons to be learned from approaches to this alkaloid. 

The following example shows the Mannich reaction in natural product synthesis. In this instance, one ring is formed by condensation of the amino group with one of the two carbonyl functions. Mannich reaction of the resulting iminium salt with the enol form of the other carbonyl function follows. The product has the framework of retronecine (see margin), an alkaloid that is present in many shrubs and is hepatotoxic (causes liver damage) to grazing livestock. 

There is no doubt that the field of natural product synthesis benefited tremendously from the versatility and robustness of the Mannich reaction in constructing N-heterocyclic compounds. Since the pioneering work by Robinson and Schopf almost a century ago, the concept of employing the Mannich or a Mannich-type reaction as key synthetic step has not only been limited to the total synthesis of L-Om- or L-Lys-derived alkaloids, as outlined comprehensively in the previous chapter, but also alkaloids derived from other amino acid or non-amino acid precursors have... 

The enamine (/dienamine)-iminium cycle-specific cascade catalysis is an important constituent of amine-catalyzed cascade reactions [10]. This strategy has been explored extensively and also applied to natural product synthesis. One such example is the total synthesis of dihydrocorynantheol, which was first isolated from the bark of Aspidosperma marcgravianum in 1967 [29]. This indole alkaloid is a member of the corynantheine and was found to exhibit antiparasitic, antiviral, or analgetic activities, which have attracted considerable attention from the synthetic community. Among those reported total syntheses, Itoh et al. developed a Mannich-Michael cascade reaction catalyzed by L-proline 52 for the total synthesis of ent-dihydrocorynantheol 54 (Scheme 3.8) [30], The cascade reaction of 3-ethyl-3-buten-2-one 51 with dihydro-P-carboline 50 catalyzed by 30mol% of (S)-proline afforded the tetracyclic core structure 53 in 85% yield. Excellent stereoselectivity was achieved in this cascade reaction (99% enantiomeric excess and almost complete diastereomeric control). Therefore, this organocascade reaction could lead expeditiously to construction of the core structure, which enabled the authors to accomplish the total synthesis of enl-dihydrocorynantheol 54 in just five steps. 

The aza-Cope Mannich reaction has observed extensive use in natural product synthesis.One example of its use is in the concise synthesis of the indole alkaloid actinophyl-lic acid 104 (Scheme 17.24). ° Actinophyllic acid was isolated from the leaves of the tree Alstonia actinophylla and shows inhibitory activity toward carboxypeptidase U. Substrate 105 for this sequence is readily obtained from di-tert-butyl malonate in only five steps. Treatment of this material with TFA in CH2CI2 cleaves the A-protecting... 

With respect to the application of tartaric acid-derived PTCs [22,23] for natural product synthesis, the work of Shibasaki s group should be highlighted herein. Using his powerful bidentate TaDiAS PTCs, asymmetric phase-transfer-catalyzed alkylations, Michael addition reactions, and Mannich-type reactions have been systematically carried out. 

H,3H- Pyrrolo[l, 2-c]oxazole-l, 3-dione, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-IR spectra, 6, 978 [2.2](2,5)Pyrrolophane, N-aryl-rearrangements, 4, 209 Pyrrolophanes natural products, 7, 764 synthesis, 7, 771 Pyrrolophanes, N-aryl-synthesis, 7, 774 (2,4)Pyrrolophanes synthesis, 7, 771 Pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyran-4-ones synthesis, 4, 288 Pyrrolopyrans synthesis, 4, 525, 526 Pyrrolopyrazines synthesis, 4, 526 Pyrrolo[l, 2-a]pyrazines synthesis, 4, 516 Pyrrolo[2,3-6]pyrazines Mannich reaction, 4, 504 Vilsmeier reaction, 4, 505 Pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrazole, 1,3a,6,6a-tetrahydro-structure, 6, 976 synthesis, 6, 1019 Pyrrolopyrazoles synthesis, 5, 164 Pyrrolo[l,2-6]pyrazoles synthesis, 6, 1002, 1006 Pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrazoles reactions, 6, 1034 synthesis, 6, 989, 1043 Pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrazolones synthesis, 6, 989 Pyrfolopyridazines synthesis, 4, 517 Pyrrolo[l, 2-6]pyridazines synthesis, 4, 297 6/7-Pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyridazines synthesis, 4, 291 2/f-Pyrrolo[3,4-d]pyridazines synthesis, 4, 291 6/7-Pyrrolo[3,4-d]pyridazines synthesis, 4, 291... 

Mannich reactions, or a mechanistic analog, are important in the biosynthesis of many nitrogen-containing natural products. As a result, the Mannich reaction has played an important role in the synthesis of such compounds, especially in syntheses patterned after the biosynthesis, i.e., biomimetic synthesis. The earliest example of the use of the Mannich reaction in this way was Sir Robert Robinson s successful synthesis of tropinone, a derivative of the alkaloid tropine, in 1917. 

Mannich and related readions provide one of the most fundamental and useful methods for the synthesis of p-amino carbonyl compounds, which constitute various pharmaceuticals, natural products, and versatile synthetic intermediates.1271 Conventional protocols for three-component Mannich-type readions of aldehydes, amines, and ketones in organic solvents indude some severe side reactions and have some substrate limitations, espedally for enolizable aliphatic aldehydes. The dired synthesis of P-amino ketones from aldehydes, amines, and silyl enolates under mild conditions is desirable from a synthetic point of view. Our working hypothesis was that aldehydes could read with amines in a hydro-phobic reaction fidd created in water in the presence of a catalytic amount of a metal triflate and a surfactant to produce imines, which could then read with hydrophobic silyl enolates. 

The condensation between an aldehyde, an amine and an active methylene compound, named after Carl Mannich, was first published in 1912 [4]. The products of the reaction, a-amino ketones or Mannich bases are important compounds with numerous applications in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and of natural products [7]. 

Compounds in which two donor atoms are linked by a three-carbon chain undergo C-C bond cleavage readily. Well-known reactions are the retro-aldolization, retro Claisen, retro-Michael, and retro-Mannich reactions. Significant application of such processes to synthesis of complex natural products include approaches to caryophyllene [80], nootkatone [81], trihydroxydecipiadiene [82], hybridalactone [83], and mesembrine [84],... 

The Mannich reaction is an important biosynthetic route to natural products, mainly alkaloids, and some of these routes have been duplicated in the laboratory. A classic example is the synthesis of tropinone (17) by Robinson in 1917. Robinson synthesized tropinone by a Mannich reaction involving succindialdehyde, methylamine, and acetone 183... 

Ecteinascidin 743 262 (Scheme 12.37) represents a powerful antitumor agent, which has been submitted to clinical trial. This complex polyazacydic, polyaromatic compound was isolated from the marine tunicate, Ecteinascidia turbinate [131]. A total synthesis of this natural product, which featured an Ugi four-component reaction as pivotal step, was recently reported by Fukuyama and co-workers [132]. The highly decorated phenylglycinol 263 was obtained via an asymmetric Mannich-type reaction [133], and was engaged in a multicomponent condensation process involving the protected amino acid 264, p-methoxyphenyl isocyanide 265 and acetaldehyde to afford dipeptide 266 in high yield. This com-... 

Racemization of the Mannich ba.se may be caused by intrinsic instability " of the optically active final product, or it may occur during the synthesis or the optical resolution. The former case is fiequently observed in the preparation of cyclic derivatives of natural products and concerns Mannich reactions of different types, including the tandem aza-Cope-Mannich rearrangement, which affords more or less extensively ra-cemized products starting from optically active materials. -" -" - This finding is explained on the basis of the equilibrium involved in the 3,3-reanangement leading to ketones 201 (Fig. 72), key intermediates for the synthesis of alkaloids. 

The chemistry of Mannich bases is implied in important spontaneous reactions involving natural products such as the alkaloids,- where a Mannich-type condensation is a key reaction leading to the biogenesis of the final product, as well as in interesting synthetic methods adopted in the laboratory preparation of natural molecules or of structurally related models. The chemical modification of natural compounds and the synthesis of labeled derivatives for biological studies also constitute relevant applications connected with chemistry of Mannich bases. 

In the laboratory of S.F. Martin, a biomimetic approach toward the total synthesis of ( )-strychnine was developed by using tandem vinylogous Mannich addition and HDA reaction to construct the pentacyclic heteroyohimboid core of the natural product.The commercially available 4,9-dihydro-3/-/-P-carboline was first converted to the corresponding A/-acylium ion and then reacted with 1-trimethylsilyloxybutadiene in a vinyiogous Mannich reaction. The resulting cycloaddition precursor readily underwent the expected HDA reaction in 85% yield. 

Cytoxazone is a novel cytokine modulator. The total synthesis of this natural product and its enantiomer was accomplished by S. Sugiyama. The 3-amino-1,2-propanediol moiety was synthesized by a Petasis boronic acid-Mannich reaction between DL-glyceraldehyde, (R)-1-(1-naphthyl)ethylamine and 4-methoxyphenylboronic acid to provide a 1 1 mixture of the diastereomeric products. The diastereomers could be separated at a later stage in the synthesis and transformed into (-)- and (+)-cytoxazone. 

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