A convergent total synthesis of the kedarcidin chromophore: 20-years in the making

The kedarcidin chromophore is a formidible target for total synthesis. Herein, we describe a viable synthesis of this highly unstable natural product. This entailed the early introduction and gram-scale synthesis of 2-deoxysugar conjugates of both L-mycarose and L-kedarosamine. Key advances include: (1) stereoselective allenylzinc keto-addition to form an epoxyalkyne; (2) α-selective glycosylations with 2-deoxy thioglycosides (AgPF₆/DTBMP) and Schmidt donors (TiCl₄); (3) Mitsunobu aryl etherification to install a hindered 1,2-cis-configuration; (4) atropselective and convergent Sonogashira-Shiina cyclization sequence; (5) Ohfune-based amidation protocol for naphthoic acid; (6) Ce(III)-mediated nine-membered enediyne cyclization and ester/mesylate derivatisation; (7) SmI₂-based reductive olefination and global HF-deprotection end-game. The longest linear sequence from gram-scale intermediates is 17-steps, and HRMS data of the synthetic natural product was obtained for the first time.

Total synthesis and related studies of large, strained, and bioactive natural products

Our chemical syntheses and related scientific investigations of natural products with complex architectures and powerful biological activities are described, focusing on the very large 3 nm-long polycyclic ethers called the ciguatoxins, highly strained and labile chromoprotein antitumor antibiotics featuring nine-membered enediyne cores, and extremely potent anthelmintic macrolides called the avermectins.

Total synthesis and structure revision of the (-)-maduropeptin chromophore

The proposed structure of the maduropeptin chromophore, the biologically active component of the highly potent chromoprotein antitumor antibiotics, was stereoselectively synthesized but did not satisfy the spectra of the natural product. We demonstrated that the correct structure is diastereomeric, which possesses an antipodal sugar moiety.

Photochemical generation and reversible cycloaromatization of a nine-membered ring cyclic enediyne

Irradiation of the nine-membered ring enediyne precursor, which has one of its triple bonds masked as cyclopropenone, efficiently (Phi = 0.34) generates the reactive 4,5-benzocyclonona-2,6-diynol. The latter rapidly equilibrates with the corresponding 1,4-didehydronaphthalene diradical and then undergoes rate-limiting hydrogen abstraction to produce the ultimate product of the Bergman cyclization, benz[f]indanol.

Efficient and accurate characterization of the Bergman cyclization for several enediynes including an expanded substructure of esperamicin A1

Incorporation of enediynes into anticancer drugs remains an intriguing yet elusive strategy for the design of therapeutically active agents. Density functional theory was used to locate reactants, products, and transition states along the Bergman cyclization pathways connecting enediynes to reactive para-biradicals. Sum method correction to low-level calculations confirmed B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) as the method of choice in investigating enediynes. Herein described as MI:Sum, calculated reaction enthalpies differed from experiment by an average of 2.1 kcal x mol(-1) (mean unsigned error). A combination of strain energy released across the reaction coordinate and the critical intramolecular distance between reacting diynes explains reactivity differences. Where experimental and calculated barrier heights are in disagreement, higher level multireference treatment of the enediynes confirms lower level estimates. Previous work concerning the chemically reactive fragment of esperamcin, MTC, is expanded to our model system MTC2.