Substitution reactions, natural products synthesis

The Pictet-Spengler reaction has mainly been investigated as a potential source of polycyclic heterocycles for combinatorial apphcations or in natural product synthesis [149]. Tryptophan or differently substituted tryptamines are the preferred substrates in a cyclocondensation that involves also aldehydes or activated ketones in the presence of an acid catalyst. Several versions of microwave-assisted Pictet-Spengler reactions have been reported in the hter-ature. Microwave irradiation allowed the use of mild Lewis acid catalysts such as Sc(OTf)3 in the reaction of tryptophan methyl esters 234 with different substituted aldehydes (aliphatic or aromatic) [150]. Under these conditions the reaction was carried out in a one-pot process without initial formation of the imine (Scheme 86). 

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. 

The Sonogashira reaction is a transition metal-catalyzed coupling reaction which is widely used for the preparation of alkyl-, aryl- and diaryl-substituted acetylenes (Table 4.7) [120]. This reaction is a key step in natural product synthesis and is also applied in optical and electronic applications. Sonogashira reactions involve the use of an organic solvent with a stoichiometric portion of a base for capturing the... 

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. 

Substitution reactions also proceed well with cationic t/ -cycloheptadienyliron complexes such as 105 [81] and related chromium complexes [82], and have found applications in natural product synthesis (Scheme 2.38). 

Applications of organocopper reagents and reactions to natural product synthesis are classified by reaction type conjugate addition, Sn2 substitution, Sn2 substitution, 1,2-metalate rearrangement, and carbocupration. 

These reactions involve metallate rearrangements , migratory insertion and transition metal-catalysed vinylic substitution reactions. They also perform well in applications in natural product synthesis . Many useful synthetic possibilities arise from application of ring-closing olefin metathesis (RCM) to unsaturated homoaldol products and their derivatives by means of the Grubbs catalyst 3942 4-286 Equation 105 presents some examples. ... 

Non-racemic a-substituted allylic silanes, in particular crotylsilanes, are very attractive reagents despite their rather tedious preparation. They were found to provide very high transfer of chirality in their additions to achiral aldehydes under Lewis acid catalysis (Eq. 114). These reagents have been tested several times in the context of natural product synthesis. Their diastereoselectivity (syn/anti) depends on several factors, including the natme of the aldehyde substrate, the reagent, and the natme of the Lewis acid employed. For example, the syn product can be obtained predominantly in the reaction of Eq. 114 by switching to the use of a monodentate Lewis acid such as BF3. 

The enantioselective cyclopropanation of acyclic allylic alcohols can be achieved with excellent enantioselectivities when the reaction is carried out in the presence of the chiral dioxaborolane ligand 18 (Equation 13.6, Protocol 11). This reaction also features the preparation of Zn(CH2I)2 DME complex which is soluble in dichloromethane.32 This chiral additive is also very effective for the synthesis of 1,2,3-substituted cyclopropanes, when 1,1-substituted diiodoalkanes are used as precursors.33 Finally, this method has been used extensively in natural product synthesis.34... 

CONTENTS Preface, Brian Hatton. Applications of Ring Strain in Natural Product Synthesis, James D. White and Nadine Chauyi Lee. Uses of the Vacuum Gas-Solid Reaction Procedure in Synthesis, W. E. Billups and Benny E. Amey, Jr. Polysubstituted Cubanes Towards Complete Systematic Substitution of the Cubane Nucleus, John Tsanaktsidis. A Personal Perspective on Norbomenes, Cyclobutenes, and Other Ring-Strained Dienophiles in Organic Synthesis, Ron N. Warrener. Synthetic Studies Related to Fullerenes and Fullerene Fragments, Goverdhan Mehta and H. Surya Prakash Rao. Index. 

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... 

Metal enolates have played a Umited role in the metal-catalyzed isomerization of al-kenes . As illustrated in a comprehensive review by Bouwman and coworkers, ruthenium complex Ru(acac)3 (51) has been used to isomerize a wide range of substituted double bonds, including aUylic alcohols (131), to the corresponding ketones (132) (equation 38) . The isomerization of aUylic alcohols affords products that have useful applications in natural product synthesis and in bulk chemical processes. An elegant review by Fogg and dos Santos shows how these complexes can be used in tandem catalysis, where an alkene is subjected to an initial isomerization followed by a hydroformylation reaction ... 

Considering the industrial importance of cyclopropanes in the pesticide field, it is not surprising that chiral ferrocenylphosphines have been applied as control ligands for the palladium-catalyzed enantioselective formation of cyclopropanes from the dicarbonate of 2-butene-1,4-diol and malonates, leading to 70% ee (Fig. 4-32e) [179]. Ferrocenylphosphines also induce chirality in the reaction of sulfonyl-substituted propenyl carbonates and acrylic esters to methylenecyclopentanes (up to 78% ee (Fig. 4-321)) [180], with potential applications in natural product synthesis. These examples show that the synthetic potential of chiral ferrocene derivatives is not yet fully exploited, and one may look forward to new applications. 

Mutants of Pseudomonas putida were found to exhibit an arene dioxygenase activity, which has been exploited in whole-cell reactions for the regio- and enantioselective preparation of cw-dihydrodiols starting from benzene, substituted benzenes, and polycyclic or heteroaromatic compounds [48], The products are invaluable precursors for natural product synthesis, as exemplified in Scheme 8 [49],... 

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