Enantioselective Palladium-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Allylation of Carbazolones and Indolones: Formal Synthesis of (+)-Kopsihainanine A

Applications of Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Substitution in Total Synthesis of Natural Products: An Update

Metal-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution (AAS) reaction is one of the most synthetically useful reactions catalyzed by metal complexes for the formation of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds. It comprises the substitution of allylic substrates with a wide range of nucleophiles or S_N 2'-type allylic substitution, which results in the formation of the above-mentioned bonds with high levels of enantioselective induction. AAS reaction tolerates a broad range of functional groups, thus has been successfully applied in the asymmetric synthesis of a wide range of optically pure compounds. This reaction has been extensively used in the total synthesis of several complex molecules, especially natural products. In this review, we try to highlight the applications of metal (Pd, Ir, Mo, or Cu)-catalyzed AAS reaction in the total synthesis of the biologically active natural products, as a key step, updating the subject from 2003 till date.

Enantioselective Catalysis Coupled with Stereodivergent Cyclization Strategies Enables Rapid Syntheses of (+)-Limaspermidine and (+)-Kopsihainanine A

Enantioselective Pd-catalyzed allylic alkylations of dihydropyrido[1,2-a]indolone (DHPI) substrates were used to construct the C20-quaternary stereocenters of multiple monoterpene indole alkaloids. Stereodivergent Pictet-Spengler and Bischler-Napieralski cyclization/reduction cascades furnish the cis- and trans-fused azadecalin subunits present in Aspidosperma and Kopsia alkaloids, respectively, en route to highly efficient syntheses of (+)-limaspermidine and (+)-kopsihainanine A.

Enantioselective Pd-Catalyzed Allylic Alkylation Reactions of Dihydropyrido[1,2-a]indolone Substrates: Efficient Syntheses of (-)-Goniomitine, (+)-Aspidospermidine, and (-)-Quebrachamine

The successful application of dihydropyrido[1,2-a]indolone (DHPI) substrates in Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation chemistry facilitates rapid access to multiple alkaloid frameworks in an enantioselective fashion. Strategic bromination at the indole C3 position greatly improved the allylic alkylation chemistry and enabled a highly efficient Negishi cross-coupling downstream. The first catalytic enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-goniomitine, along with divergent formal syntheses of (+)-aspidospermidine and (-)-quebrachamine, are reported herein.

Non-stabilized enolates – versatile nucleophiles in transition metal-catalysed allylic alkylations

This review covers new developments in the transition metal-catalyzed allylic alkylations of non-stabilized enolates, preferentially generated from ketone, esters or amides.

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (-)-Martinellic Acid

An enantioselective total synthesis of martinellic acid is described. The pyrroloquinoline alkaloid core is efficiently prepared from a quinoline, employing a method which relies on a newly developed Cu-catalyzed enantioselective alkynylation using the chiral imidazole-based biaryl P,N ligand StackPhos to establish the absolute stereochemistry. The remaining carbon atoms are then installed by means of a diastereoselective Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative allylation and the synthesis is completed after straightforward functional-group manipulation. This new synthetic method enables the most concise enantioselective synthesis of this important class of molecules to date.

The Construction of All-Carbon Quaternary Stereocenters by Use of Pd-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation Reactions in Total Synthesis

All-carbon quaternary stereocenters have posed significant challenges in the synthesis of complex natural products. These important structural motifs have inspired the development of broadly applicable palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation reactions of unstabilized non-biased enolates for the synthesis of enantioenriched α-quaternary products. This microreview outlines key considerations in the application of palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation reactions and presents recent total syntheses of complex natural products that have employed these powerful transformations for the direct, catalytic, enantioselective construction of all-carbon quaternary stereocenters.