Synthesis of macrocyclic precursors of the vioprolides.

The vioprolides are novel depsipeptides that have not been synthesized. However, they have been identified as important targets for synthesis because of their novel biological activities and challenging chemical structures. Following early work on the synthesis of a modified tetrapeptide that contained both the (E)-dehydrobutyrine and thiazoline components of vioprolide D, problems were encountered in taking an (E)-dehydrobutyrine containing intermediate further into the synthesis. A second approach to vioprolides and analogues was therefore investigated in which (E)- and (Z)-dehydrobutyrines were to be introduced by selenoxide elimination very late in the synthesis. A convergent approach to advanced macrocyclic precursors of the vioprolides was then completed using a modified hexapeptide and a dipeptidyl glycerate. In this work, it was necessary to protect the 2-hydroxyl group of the glycerate as its acetate and not as its 2,2,2-trichloroethoxycarbonate. Preliminary studies were carried out on the introduction of the required dehydrobutyrine and thiazoline components into advanced intermediates.

Tunable Metal-Catalyzed Heterocyclization Reactions of Allenic Amino Alcohols: An Experimental and Theoretical Study.

Controlled preparation of 2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrroles, 3,6-dihydro-2H-pyrans, and pyrroles has been achieved through switchable chemo- and regioselectivity in the metal-catalyzed heterocyclization reactions of allenic amino alcohols. The gold-catalyzed cycloisomerization reaction of α-amino-ß-hydroxyallenes was effective as 5-endo cyclization by addition of amino functionality to the distal allene carbon to yield enantiopure 2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrroles, whereas their palladium-catalyzed cyclizative coupling reactions furnished 3,6-dihydro-2H-pyrans through a chemo- and regioselective 6-endo cycloetherification. Conversely, the gold-catalyzed heterocyclization reaction of ß-amino-γ-hydroxyallenes generated exclusively pyrrole derivatives. These results could be explained through a chemo- and regioselective 5-exo aminocyclization to the central allene carbon followed by aromatization. Chemo- and regioselectivity depend on both linker elongation as well as the type of catalyst. This behavior can be justified by means of density functional theory calculations.

Metal-Free Allene-Based Synthesis of Enantiopure Fused Polycyclic Sultones.

The controlled metal-free preparation of fused δ-sultone derivatives has been developed starting from hydroxyallenynes. The use of 2-(3,3-diethyltriaz-1-enyl)-4-methylbenzene-1-sulfonyl chloride in a sulfonylation/rearrangement sequence gives access to 1,3-dien-2-yl arenesulfonates. These functionalized enynes suffered a direct cyclization/desaturation radical cascade, allowing the synthesis of a variety of enynyl [1,2]oxathiine 1,1-dioxides. Stereoselective cyclization of the readily formed core through intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction has also been demonstrated, affording ß-lactam- and glucofuranoside-fused δ-sultone polycycles. These selective reactions have been studied experimentally and additionally, their reaction mechanisms have been investigated computationally by means of density functional theory calculations.

Microwave-promoted synthesis of bicyclic azocine-ß-lactams from bis(allenes).

A metal-free preparation of structurally novel bicyclic azocine-ß-lactams has been developed. The first examples accounting for the preparation of eight-membered rings from bis(allenes) in the absence of metals have been achieved by the thermolysis of nonconjugated 2-azetidinone-tethered bis(allenes) on application of microwave irradiation. This selective carbocyclization reaction has been studied experimentally, and additionally, its mechanism has been investigated by a DFT study.

A gold-catalysed imine-propargylamine cascade sequence: synthesis of 3-substituted-2,5-dimethylpyrazines and the reaction mechanism.

The gold-catalysed coupling reaction between propargylamine-derived imines and propargylamine exclusively afforded pyrazines. Besides, in order to understand the mechanism of this sequence, deuterium labeling and computational studies have been performed.

Ring enlargement versus selenoetherification on the reaction of allenyl oxindoles with selenenylating reagents.

Lactam-tethered allenols, readily prepared from α-oxolactams, were used as starting materials for divergent reactivity with selenenylating reagents. Either oxycyclization (spirocyclic selenolactams) or ring expansion (selenoquinolones) can be achieved through the choice of both reagents and substrates. The biological activity of some of the synthesized heterocycles has additionally been evaluated in four human cancer cell lines.