Convergent synthesis of polycyclic ethers via the intramolecular allylation of alpha-acetoxy ethers and subsequent ring-closing metathesis: synthesis of the CDEFG ring system of gambierol

Practical route to the left wing of CTX1B and total syntheses of CTX1B and 54-deoxyCTX1B

Ciguatoxins, the principal causative agents of ciguatera seafood poisoning, are extremely large polycyclic ethers. We report herein a reliable route for constructing the left wing of CTX1B, which possesses the acid/base/oxidant-sensitive bisallylic ether moiety, by a 6-exo radical cyclization/ring-closing metathesis strategy. This new route enabled us to achieve the second-generation total synthesis of CTX1B and the first synthesis of 54-deoxyCTX1B.

Chemoselective reductive nucleophilic addition to tertiary amides, secondary amides, and N-methoxyamides

As the complexity of targeted molecules increases in modern organic synthesis, chemoselectivity is recognized as an important factor in the development of new methodologies. Chemoselective nucleophilic addition to amide carbonyl centers is a challenge because classical methods require harsh reaction conditions to overcome the poor electrophilicity of the amide carbonyl group. We have successfully developed a reductive nucleophilic addition of mild nucleophiles to tertiary amides, secondary amides, and N-methoxyamides that uses the Schwartz reagent [Cp2 ZrHCl]. The reaction took place in a highly chemoselective fashion in the presence of a variety of sensitive functional groups, such as methyl esters, which conventionally require protection prior to nucleophilic addition. The reaction will be applicable to the concise synthesis of complex natural alkaloids from readily available amide groups.

Direct nucleophilic addition to N-alkoxyamides

While the synthesis of amide bonds is now one of the most reliable organic reactions, functionalization of amide carbonyl groups has been a long-standing issue due to their high stability. As an ongoing program aimed at practical transformation of amides, we developed a direct nucleophilic addition to N-alkoxyamides to access multisubstituted amines. The reaction enabled installation of two different functional groups to amide carbonyl groups in one pot. The N-alkoxy group played important roles in this reaction. First, it removed the requirement for an extra preactivation step prior to nucleophilic addition to activate inert amide carbonyl groups. Second, the N-alkoxy group formed a five-membered chelated complex after the first nucleophilic addition, resulting in suppression of an extra addition of the first nucleophile. While diisobutylaluminum hydride (DIBAL-H) and organolithium reagents were suitable as the first nucleophile, allylation, cyanation, and vinylation were possible in the second addition including inter- and intramolecular reactions. The yields were generally high, even in the synthesis of sterically hindered α-trisubstituted amines. The reaction exhibited wide substrate scope, including acyclic amides, five- and six-membered lactams, and macrolactams.

Maitotoxin: An Inspiration for Synthesis

Maitotoxin holds a special place in the annals of natural products chemistry as the largest and most toxic secondary metabolite known to date. Its fascinating, ladder-like, polyether molecular structure and diverse spectrum of biological activities elicited keen interest from chemists and biologists who recognized its uniqueness and potential as a probe and inspiration for research in chemistry and biology. Synthetic studies in the area benefited from methodologies and strategies that were developed as part of chemical synthesis programs directed toward the total synthesis of some of the less complex members of the polyether marine biotoxin class, of which maitotoxin is the flagship. This account focuses on progress made in the authors' laboratories in the synthesis of large maitotoxin domains with emphasis on methodology development, strategy design, and structural comparisons of the synthesized molecules with the corresponding regions of the natural product. The article concludes with an overview of maitotoxin's biological profile and future perspectives.

Stereoselective 6-exo radical cyclization using cis-vinyl sulfoxide: practical total synthesis of CTX3C

Ciguatoxins, the principal causative toxins of ciguatera seafood poisoning, are large ladder-like polycyclic ethers. We report a highly stereoselective 6-exo radical cyclization/ring-closing olefin metathesis sequence to construct the syn/trans-fused polyether system. The new method was applied to the practical synthesis of ciguatoxin CTX3C.

Inspirations, discoveries, and future perspectives in total synthesis

The last one hundred years have witnessed a dramatic increase in the power and reach of total synthesis. The pantheon of accomplishments in the field includes the total synthesis of molecules of unimaginable beauty and diversity such as the four discussed in this article: endiandric acids (1982), calicheamicin gamma(1)(I) (1992), Taxol (1994), and brevetoxin B (1995). Chosen from the collection of the molecules synthesized in the author's laboratories, these structures are but a small fraction of the myriad constructed in laboratories around the world over the last century. Their stories, and the background on which they were based, should serve to trace the evolution of the art of chemical synthesis to its present sharp condition, an emergence that occurred as a result of new theories and mechanistic insights, new reactions, new reagents and catalysts, and new synthetic technologies and strategies. Indeed, the advent of chemical synthesis as a whole must be considered as one of the most influential developments of the twentieth century in terms of its impact on society.

Convergent strategies for the total synthesis of polycyclic ether marine metabolites

Marine polycyclic ether natural products continue to fascinate chemists and biologists due to their exceptionally large and complex molecular architectures and potent and diverse biological activities. Tremendous progress has been made over the past decade toward the total synthesis of marine polycyclic ether natural products. In this area, a convergent strategy for assembling small fragments into an entire molecule always plays a key role in successful total synthesis. This review describes our efforts to develop convergent strategies for the synthesis of polycyclic ethers and their application to the total synthesis of gambierol, gymnocin-A, and brevenal, and to the partial synthesis of the central part of ciguatoxins and the nonacyclic polyether skeleton of gambieric acids.

The continuing saga of the marine polyether biotoxins

The unprecedented structure of the marine natural product brevetoxin B was elucidated by the research group of Nakanishi and Clardy in 1981. The ladderlike molecular architecture of this fused polyether molecule, its potent toxicity, and fascinating voltage-sensitive sodium channel based mechanism of action immediately captured the imagination of synthetic chemists. Synthetic endeavors resulted in numerous new methods and strategies for the construction of cyclic ethers, and culminated in several impressive total syntheses of this molecule and some of its equally challenging siblings. Of the marine polyethers, maitotoxin is not only the most complex and most toxic of the class, but is also the largest nonpolymeric natural product known to date. This Review begins with a brief history of the isolation of these biotoxins and highlights their biological properties and mechanism of action. Chemical syntheses are then described, with particular emphasis on new methods developed and applied to the total syntheses. The Review ends with a discussion of the, as yet unfinished, story of maitotoxin, and projects into the future of this area of research.

From σ- to π-Electrophilic Lewis Acids. Application to Selective Organic Transformations

Computed enthalpies of formation for various Lewis acid complexes with representative unsaturated compounds (aldehydes, imines, alkynes, and alkenes) provide a means to evaluate the applicability of a particular catalyst in a catalytic reaction. As expected, main group Lewis acids such as BX3 show much stronger complexes with heteroatoms than with carbon-carbon multiple bonds (sigma-electrophilic Lewis acids). Gold(I) and copper(I) salts with non-nucleophilic anions increase the relative strength of coordination to the carbon-carbon multiple bonds (pi-electrophilic Lewis acids). As representative examples for the use of sigma-electrophilic Lewis acids in organic synthesis, the Lewis acid mediated allylation reactions of aldehydes and imines with allylic organometallic reagents which give the corresponding homoallyl alcohols and amines, respectively, are mentioned. The allylation method is applied for the synthesis of polycyclic ether marine natural products, such as hemibrevetoxin B, gambierol, and brevetoxin B. As representative examples for the use of pi-electrophilic Lewis acids in organic synthesis, the Zr-, Hf-, or Al-catalyzed trans-stereoselective hydro- and carbosilylation/stannylation of alkynes is mentioned. This method is extended to sigma-pi chelation controlled reduction and allylation of certain alkynylaldehydes. Gold- and copper-catalyzed benzannulation of ortho-alkynylaldehydes (and ketones) with alkynes (and alkenes) is discovered, which proceeds through the reverse electron demand Diels-Alder type [4+2] cycloaddition catalyzed by the pi-electrophilic Lewis acids. This reaction is applied for the short synthesis of (+)-ochromycinone. Palladium and platinum catalysts act as a sigma- and/or pi-electrophilic catalyst depending on substrates and reaction conditions.

Total Synthesis of Gambierol: The Generation of the A–C and F–H Subunits by Using a C-Glycoside Centered Strategy

Gambierol, a representative of the marine ladder toxin family, consists of eight ether rings, 18 stereocenters, and two challenging pyranyl rings having methyl groups that are in a 1,3-diaxial orientation to one another. Herein we describe the generation of gambierol's A-C and F-H ring systems and demonstrate the versatility of the glycosyl anhydride, enol ether-olefin RCM strategy to fused polycyclic ethers. This work has both enabled us to generate sufficient quantities of the gambierol precursors and has enabled us to better understand the chemical transformations that were key to these efforts. Fundamental work included efforts to C-glycosides and C-ketosides, Claisen rearrangements, and enol ether-olefin RCM reactions.

Synthesis of the ABCD Ring of Gambierol

A fully functionalized ABCD ring moiety of gambierol, a marine polycyclic ether toxin, was synthesized by the use of the oxiranyl anion strategy and reductive cycloetherification of a beta,delta-dihydroxy ketone.

Synthetic strategies of marine polycyclic ethers via intramolecular allylations: linear and convergent approaches

Strategies for the synthesis of polycyclic ethers based on intramolecular allylations are overviewed. The intramolecular condensation of allylic stannanes and aldehydes is a powerful tool for the synthesis of oxepane derivatives. The reaction is successfully applied to the iterative total synthesis of hemibrevetoxin B (2). Further, the intramolecular allylation of alpha-acetoxy ethers provides an efficient method for the convergent synthesis of polycyclic ethers. The usefulness of the latter strategy is demonstrated in the convergent total synthesis of gambierol (4).

Convergent Total Syntheses of Gambierol and 16-epi-Gambierol and Their Biological Activities

The convergent total syntheses of gambierol (1) and 16-epi-gambierol (2) have been achieved. The ABC and FGH ring segments 4 and 5 were prepared from known compounds 6 and 13, respectively, by linear manners. The fragments prepared were connected by our own synthetic strategy including the intramolecular allylation of alpha-acetoxy ether followed by ring-closing metathesis to furnish the octacyclic ether 3. The diiodoalkene 45, prepared from 3, was converted to the Z-iodoalkene 50 via a novel and stereoselective hydrogenolysis followed by deprotection. Construction of the triene side chain was performed by the modified Stille coupling of 50 with the Z-vinylic stannane 41 to afford 1. The similar transformations were carried out on the epimeric octacycle 34 to give 2, which showed no toxicity against mice at the concentration of 14 mg/kg.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of gambierol analogues

Gambierol is a polycyclic ether toxin, isolated as a toxic constituent from the marine dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus toxicus. We describe here the synthesis and biological evaluation of structural analogues of gambierol. The present preliminary structure-activity relationship studies clearly indicate that the H ring functionality and the unsaturated side chain of gambierol are crucial for its potent toxicity.

Synthesis of an F-H gambierol subunit using a C-glycoside-centered strategy

[structure: see text] This manuscript describes our synthesis of the F-H subunit of gambierol. In addition to the synthesis of the tricycle, of note is an interesting protecting group influence on the generation of a C(23) C-glycoside as well as the use of ring-closing metathesis to generate a tetrasubstituted enol ether.

Total synthesis of gambierol

The convergent total synthesis of gambierol (1) is described. The octacyclic ether framework of 1 was constructed via the intramolecular allylation of alpha-chloroacetoxy ether followed by ring-closing metathesis. A modified Stille coupling was successfully applied to the synthesis of the triene side chain.

Total synthesis of (-)-gambierol

The first total synthesis of (-)-gambierol (1), a marine polycyclic ether toxin, has been achieved. Key features of the successful synthesis include (1) a convergent union of the ABC and EFGH ring fragments (5 and 6, respectively) via our developed B-alkyl Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling strategy leading to the octacyclic polyether core 4 and (2) a late-stage introduction of the sensitive triene side chain by use of Pd(PPh(3))(4)/CuCl/LiCl-promoted Stille coupling. The ABC ring fragment 5 was synthesized in a linear manner (B --> AB --> ABC), wherein the A ring was formed by intramolecular hetero-Michael reaction and the C ring was constructed via 6-endo cyclization of hydroxy epoxide 7. An improved synthetic entry to the EFGH ring fragment 6 is also described, in which SmI(2)-induced reductive cyclization methodology was applied to the stereoselective construction of the F and H rings, leading to 6 with remarkable overall efficiency. Stereoselective hydroboration of 5 and subsequent Suzuki-Miyaura coupling with 6 provided endocyclic enol ether 45 in high yield, which was then converted to octacyclic polyether core 4. Careful choice of the global deprotection stage was a key element for the successful total synthesis. Functionalization of the H ring and global desilylation gave (Z)-vinyl bromide 2. Finally, cross-coupling of 2 with (Z)-vinyl stannane 3 under Corey's Pd(PPh(3))(4)/CuCl/LiCl-promoted Stille conditions completed the total synthesis of (-)-gambierol (1).

Novel assembly of cyclic ethers by coupling alpha-chlorosulfides and alcohols

A novel protocol for assembling polycyclic ethers was developed and successfully applied to the synthesis of the EFGH ring system of ciguatoxin CTX3C. A key transformation involves construction of an O,S-acetal through coupling of alpha-chlorosulfide and a secondary alcohol under mild conditions. The method is highly applicable to use with sensitive substrates and will enable the synthesis of various natural and artificial polycyclic ethers. [reaction: see text]

Total synthesis of gambierol

[structure: see text] The first total synthesis of gambierol, a marine polycyclic ether toxin, has been achieved. The synthesis features the Pd(PPh3)4/CuCl/LiCl-promoted Stille coupling for the stereoselective construction of the sensitive triene side chain that includes a conjugated (Z,Z)-diene moiety.

Concise synthesis of cyclic ethers via the palladium-catalyzed coupling of ketene acetal triflates and organozinc reagents. Application to the iterative synthesis of polycyclic ethers

The reaction of the ketene acetal triflates 9a-e and a zinc homoenolate 10 in the presence of a catalytic amount of Pd(PPh(3))(4) gave the enol ethers 11a-e in good yields. The products were converted to the corresponding cyclic ethers 14a and 14b by hydroboration and lactonization. The present methodology allowed us to synthesize the DE and GH ring segment of gambierol in a concise manner. Iterative syntheses of the polycyclic ethers 26 and 32 are also described.