Chuang-Chuang Li

Total Synthesis of (±) Maoecrystal V

A concise first total synthesis of (±) maoecrystal V (1) is reported. The synthesis features a Wessely oxidative dearomatization of a phenol, an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction, and a Rh-catalyzed O-H bond insertion as key steps.

Synthesis of (+)-Cortistatin A

Cortistatin A is a marine steroid with highly selective and perhaps mechanistically unique antiangiogenic activity. Herein we report a synthesis of this natural product by way of “cortistatinone”, an intermediate ideally suited for investigating the key pharmacophore of the cortistatin family. The synthesis begins with a terrestrial steroid and traverses a route to cortistatin A through the discovery of unique chemical reactivity. Specifically, we demonstrate the first example of a directed, geminal C−H bisoxidation, a new fragmentation cascade to access expanded B-ring steroid systems, a chemoselective cyclization to install the hallmark oxabicycle of the cortistatin family, and a remarkably selective hydrogenation reaction, which should find extensive use in future syntheses of the cortistatins and designed analogues. The synthesis displays a level of brevity, efficiency, and practicality that will be crucial in evaluating the medicinal potential of this fascinating class of marine steroids.

Total Syntheses of Drimane-Type Sesquiterpenoids Enabled by a Gold-Catalyzed Tandem Reaction

Development of a gold-catalyzed tandem reaction of 1,7-diynes with both internal and external nucleophiles was realized, which constructed five chemical bonds, two rings, and two stereogenic centers in a single step. Based on the novel cascade transformation, we achieved a unified strategy toward the stereoselective total syntheses of C-15 oxygenated drimane-type sesquiterpenoids and their analogues, which provided the natural products kuehneromycin A, antrocin, anhydromarasmone, and marasmene as a proof-of-concept study.

Stereoselective Total Syntheses of (−)‐Flueggine A and (+)‐Virosaine B

Convergent approach: the total syntheses of (-)-flueggine A and (+)-virosaine B have been accomplished in a concise and convergent manner. Key steps in these approaches were relay ring-closing metathesis reactions for rapid construction of the key intermediates, and 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions for the formation of the natural products.

Synthetic study toward the total synthesis of maoecrystal V.

A novel and concise approach for the construction of the core structure of maoecrystal V (1) has been developed. Utilizing the lead-mediated arylation of beta-ketoesters and oxidative dearomatization/IMDA reaction as key steps, the two consecutive all-carbon quaternary centers (C-9 and C-10) were constructed in a stereoselective manner. The developed chemistry paves the way for the total synthesis of this fascinating natural product.

Collective Synthesis of Humulanolides Using a Metathesis Cascade Reaction

A new method has been developed for the concise and asymmetric synthesis of seven humulanolides in 5-7 steps without the need for protecting groups. Notably, the challenging 11-membered ring and bridged butenolide moieties in asteriscunolide D and 6,7,9,10-tetrahydroasteriscunolide were introduced in one step using a ring-opening/ring-closing metathesis cascade reaction. Asteriscunolide D was used as a versatile synthetic precursor to prepare asteriscunolides A-C via a photoinduced isomerization reaction, asteriscanolide via a unique transannular Michael reaction, and 6,7,9,10-tetradehydroasteriscanolide via a transannular Morita-Baylis-Hillman-type reaction. The unique bicyclo[6.3.0]undecane core was introduced diastereoselectively.

Asymmetric Total Synthesis of (+)-Fusarisetin A via the Intramolecular Pauson–Khand Reaction

An asymmetic total synthesis of (+)-fusarisetin A has been achieved. The essential to our strategy was the application of the intramolecular Pauson-Khand reaction for the stereoselective construction of the trans-decalin subunit of (+)-fusarisetin A with a unique C16 quarternary chiral center. The developed chemistry offers an alternative to the IMDA reaction that has been used for fusarisetin A, and is applicable to analogue synthesis for biological evaluation.

Asymmetric Total Synthesis of Caribenol A

A unified strategy toward the asymmetric total synthesis of carbenol A is reported, featuring intramolecular Diels-Alder (IMDA) and biomimetic oxidation reactions as key steps.

Concise Stereoselective Synthesis of Oxaspirocycles with 1‐Tosyl‐1,2,3‐triazoles: Application to the Total Syntheses of (±)‐Tuberostemospiroline and (±)‐Stemona‐lactam R

A 4-substituted-1-tosyl-1,2,3-triazole-based stereoselective synthesis of structurally diverse oxaspirocycles is reported. The synthesis involves Rh-catalyzed loss of nitrogen from 4-substituted-1-tosyl-1,2,3-triazoles, Grignard reaction, and a ring-closing metathesis reaction as key steps. By employing readily available and stable 4-substituted-1-tosyl-1,2,3-triazoles as surrogates of diazo compounds and nitrogen sources, two types of oxaspirocycles were obtained. The latter compounds, which contain adjacent nitrogen stereocenters, could serve as the core structures of many natural products. This chemistry has been successfully applied to the total syntheses of (±)-tuberostemospiroline and (±)-stemona-lactam R.

Collective Synthesis of Cladiellins Based on the Gold-Catalyzed Cascade Reaction of 1,7-Diynes†

The cladiellin family of natural products, which includes molecules with various biological activities, continues to invite new synthetic studies. A gold-catalyzed tandem reaction of 1,7-diynes to construct the 6-5-bicyclic ring systems that are present in a number of natural products was developed. This reaction was applied as the key step to realize the formal and total syntheses of nine members of the cladiellin family in an enantio- and diastereoselective manner. This modular and efficient approach could also be used for the construction of other cladiellins, as well as their analogues, for follow-up studies.