Synthetic methods, challenges

When in the late 1940 s the remarkable therapeutic effects of the glucocorticoids cortisone and hydrocortisone were discovered, new raw materials had to be developed to produce these complicated molecules, and new synthetic methods devised to convert either a 20-ketopregnane or 21-acetoxy-20-ketopregnane to the dihydroxyacetone side-chain characteristic of these corticoids. This latter challenge produced some extremely useful new organic chemical reactions, many of which have wider application outside of steroids. 

Natural product total syntheses are particularly valuable when they are attended by the development of general utility methods of synthesis. In some instances, the successful completion of a natural product total synthesis requires the development and application of a new synthetic method. The total synthesis of erythronolide B by Corey et al. is one of these instances. The double activation macro-lactonization method was a fruitful innovation that was introduced in response to the challenge presented by the macrocyclic structures of the erythromycins. Several other methods to achieve the same objective, and numerous applications followed. 

The striking constitution of brevetoxin B, unprecedented at the time of its discovery in 1981, presents a formidable challenge to organic synthesis. The unique and fascinating molecular architecture of brevetoxin B (1), its association with the red tide catastrophes, its potent biological activity, and the prospects for expanding the arsenal of synthetic methods all contributed in roughly equal measure to our decision to pursue a total synthesis of 1. This chapter addresses the efforts that culminated in the total synthesis of brevetoxin B (1 ).6... 

High product selectivity is one of the most important challenges in synthetic methods. Some electrode reactions of organic substrates show a surprisingly high chemoselectivity and regioselectivity Diastereoselectivity is occasionally observed,... 

The introduction of new synthetic techniques has led to the discoveries of many new electronic materials with improved properties [20-22]. However, similar progress has not been forthcoming in the area of heterogeneous catalysis, despite the accumulation of considerable information regarding structure-reactivity correlations for such catalysts [14-19]. The synthetic challenge in this area stems from the complex and metastable nature of the most desirable catalytic structures. Thus, in order to minimize phase separation and destruction of the most efficient catalytic centers, low-temperature methods and complicated synthetic procedures are often required [1-4]. Similar challenges are faced in many other aspects of materials research and, in general, more practical synthetic methods are required to achieve controlled, facile assembly of complex nanostructured materials [5-11]. 

Since preparation of pyrazole 3 was deemed straightforward (vide infra.) and D-valine tert-butyl ester was commercially available, our efforts focused on developing a synthesis of tbe more challenging cyclopentanone 2 [3], The original synthetic method for 2 by medicinal chemists is depicted in Scheme 2.2. 

Dioxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane naturally assumed the role of the principal target molecule. It represented a considerable synthetic challenge, for not only is it a strained bicyclic molecule containing the weak and labile 0—0 bond, but it is also a di(secondary-alkyl) peroxide which is the most difficult type to make by classical procedures 12). New synthetic methods of exceptional mildness were clearly needed to solve this problem. In the course of the development of such techniques and from a desire to establish their scope, a variety of saturated bicyclic peroxides have been obtained in addition to 2,3-dioxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane. The question of how substitution patterns and ring sizes affect the reactivity of bicyclic peroxides has further served to broaden interest in the subject. 

Enantiometrically pure alcohols are important and valuable intermediates in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and other fine chemicals. A variety of synthetic methods have been developed to obtain optically pure alcohols. Among these methods, a straightforward approach is the reduction of prochiral ketones to chiral alcohols. In this context, varieties of chiral metal complexes have been developed as catalysts in asymmetric ketone reductions [ 1-3]. However, in many cases, difficulties remain in the process operation, and in obtaining sufficient enantiomeric purity and productivity [2,3]. In addition, residual metal in the products originating from the metal catalyst presents another challenge because of the ever more stringent regulatory restrictions on the level of metals allowed in pharmaceutical products [4]. An alternative to the chemical asymmetric reduction processes is biocatalytic transformation, which offers... 

Another important area is the use of photochemistry—chemistry that results from light absorption—to perform transformations that are not otherwise possible. The practical applications of photosynthesis were based on fundamental work to learn the new pathways that light absorption makes possible, but the work on these synthetic methods has also added to our basic understanding of the reaction mechanisms. The important natural process of photosynthesis also inspires some work in photochemistry, where the challenge is one of producing artificial photosynthetic systems that could use sunlight to drive the formation of energetic materials. 

Despite formidable challenges, the construction of two- and three-dimensional all-carbon and carbon-rich networks has been pursued with great vigor in the past ten years.1121 Fueled by the availability of new synthetic methods, in particular Pd(0)-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions,1131 versatile molecular construction kits for perethynylated... 

Formation of C-C bonds remains the ultimate challenge to the synthetic chemist. The employment of new synthetic methods in complex target synthesis can be frustrated by a lack of functional group tolerance and substrate specificity. These problems can be somewhat alleviated within conjugate addition reactions by the use of secondary amine catalysts where a number of important and highly selective methods have been developed. Two principle classes of nucleophile have been shown to be effective in the iminium ion activated conjugate addition of carbon nucleophiles to a,P-unsaturated carbonyl systems aryl, heteroaromatic and vinyl... 

A synthetically more challenging C-H acid that represents a method for the glyoxylation of a,P-unsaturated aldehydes is aminonitrile 62 [104], Conjugate addition of 62 catalysed by diarylprolinol ether 30 (20 mol%) provides adducts 63. Reduction, protection and hydrolysis of these adducts leads to the glyoxylates 64 showing the impressive functional group tolerance of these transformations (Scheme 26). 

There is a tendency to reserve semisynthetic and totally synthetic methods for the introduction of bonds and residues that cannot be specified by the genetic code. The present chapter will concentrate on these aspects. However, semisynthesis can have a role to play even when building structures that are completely accessible to the genetic code. The first industrial challenge for the emerging technologies of total chemical synthesis, recombinant protein expression, and semisynthesis was the economic production of human insulin in pharmaceutically usable quantity and quality. The semisynthetic human insulin that was made from porcine insulin proved exceptionally convenient to produce, and was the first introduction to human insulin for very many patients. 

In addition to the synthetic challenge of natural cyclic peptides, these compounds are often isolated in very low yields and thus their structure cannot always be determined without ambiguity. Consequently, total synthesis represents the safest way to prove their constitution, configuration, and even biological activity, since frequently this results from highly active minor contaminants. 10-12 Moreover, synthesis of the natural compounds allows for structural variations as required for structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies to identify the important pharmacophores and their orientation in space. Herein the reader is not provided with a comprehensive overview of the vast list of different natural cyclic peptides, but rather directed to comprehensive reviews. 1,13 Nonetheless, some important and characteristic representative members will be reported in the context of the synthetic methods. 

Although some of these strategies provide high enantioselectivities with a number of substrates, the development of catalytic rather than stoichiometric processes is the main challenge in order to provide truly efficient synthetic methods. 

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