Robert A. Craig

Lewis acid mediated (3 + 2) cycloadditions of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes with heterocumulenes.

Isocyanates, isothiocyanates, and carbodiimides are effective substrates in (3 + 2) cycloadditions with donor-acceptor cyclopropanes for the synthesis of five-membered heterocycles. These reactions exhibit a broad substrate scope, high yields, and well-defined chemoselectivity. Discussed herein are the implications of Lewis acid choice on the stereochemical outcome and the reaction mechanism.

Stereoselective Lewis Acid Mediated (3+2) Cycloadditions of N‐H‐ and N‐Sulfonylaziridines with Heterocumulenes

Alkyl and aryl isothiocyanates and carbodiimides are effective substrates in (3+2) cycloadditions with N-sulfonyl-2-substituted aziridines and 2-phenylaziridine for the synthesis of iminothiazolidines and iminoimidazolidines. Additionally, the stereoselective (3+2) cycloaddition of N-H- and N-sulfonylaziridines with isothiocyanates can be accomplished, allowing for the synthesis of highly enantioenriched iminothiazolidines. Evidence for an intimate ion-pair mechanism is presented herein in the context of these chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselective transformations. The demonstrated ability to remove the sulfonyl group from the heterocyclic products displays the utility of these compounds for further derivatization and application.

Palladium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Decarboxylative Allylic Alkylation of Cyclopentanones

The first general method for the enantioselective construction of all-carbon quaternary centers on cyclopentanones by enantioselective palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative allylic alkylation is described. Employing the electronically modified (S)-(p-CF3)3-t-BuPHOX ligand, α-quaternary cyclopentanones were isolated in yields up to >99% with ee’s up to 94%. Additionally, in order to facilitate large-scale application of this method, a low catalyst loading protocol was employed, using as little as 0.15 mol % Pd, furnishing the product without any loss in ee.

Enantioselective synthesis of a hydroxymethyl-cis-1,3-cyclopentenediol building block.

A brief, enantioselective synthesis of a hydroxymethyl-cis-1,3-cyclopentenediol building block is presented. This scaffold allows access to the cis-1,3-cyclopentanediol fragments found in a variety of biologically active natural and non-natural products. This rapid and efficient synthesis is highlighted by the utilization of the palladium-catalyzed enantioselective allylic alkylation of dioxanone substrates to prepare tertiary alcohols.

Polycyclic Furanobutenolide-Derived Cembranoid and Norcembranoid Natural Products: Biosynthetic Connections and Synthetic Efforts

The polycyclic furanobutenolide-derived cembranoid and norcembranoid natural products are a family of congested, stereochemically complex, and extensively oxygenated polycyclic diterpenes and norditerpenes. Although the elegant architectures and biological activity profiles of these natural products have captured the attention of chemists since the isolation of the first members of the family in the 1990s, the de novo synthesis of only a single polycyclic furanobutenolide-derived cembranoid and norcembranoid has been accomplished. This article begins with a brief discussion of the proposed biosyntheses and biosynthetic connections among the polycyclic furanobutenolide-derived cembranoids and norcembranoids and then provides a comprehensive review of the synthetic efforts toward each member of the natural product family, including biomimetic, semisynthetic, and de novo synthetic strategies. This body of knowledge has been gathered to provide insight into the reactivity and constraints of these compact and highly oxygenated polycyclic structures, as well as to offer guidance for future synthetic endeavors.

Preparation of 1,5-Dioxaspiro[5.5]undecan-3-one

A. 3-Amino-3-(hydroxymethyl)-1,5-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane. A 1-L single-necked, round-bottomed flask is equipped with an egg-shaped, Teflon®-coated magnetic stirring bar (3.5 cm x 1.5 cm), capped with a rubber septum, flame-dried under vacuum, and cooled under an argon atmosphere (Note 1). After cooling to ambient temperature (21-23 °C), to the flask is added anhydrous N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF, 365 mL, 0.78 M) via cannula. Subsequently, tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane hydrochloride (45.0 g, 286 mmol, 1.00 equiv) (Note 2 and 3) is added in a single portion as white crystalline solid. The reaction vessel is immediately resealed with a rubber septum under inert atmosphere and stirring is commenced (Figure 1). To this white suspension is added 1,1-dimethoxycyclohexane (50.0 mL, 47.4 g, 329 mmol, 1.15 equiv) via syringe in one portion (Note 4). Lastly, to the off-white slurry is added para-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate (p-TsOH•H2O, 1.63 g, 8.57 mmol, 0.03 equiv) as a solid in one portion quickly, immediately replacing the rubber septum to maintain an inert atmosphere.

Development of a Unified Enantioselective, Convergent Synthetic Approach Toward the Furanobutenolide-Derived Polycyclic Norcembranoid Diterpenes: Asymmetric Formation of the Polycyclic Norditerpenoid Carbocyclic Core by Tandem Annulation Cascade

An enantioselective and diastereoselective approach toward the synthesis of the tetracyclic scaffold of the furanobutenolide-derived polycyclic norditerpenoids is described. Focusing on synthetic efforts toward ineleganolide, the synthetic approach utilizes a palladium-catalyzed enantioselective allylic alkylation for the construction of the requisite chiral tertiary ether. A diastereoselective cyclopropanation-Cope rearrangement cascade enabled the convergent assembly of the ineleganolide [6,7,5,5]-tetracyclic scaffold. Investigation of substrates for this critical tandem annulation process is discussed along with synthetic manipulations of the [6,7,5,5]-tetracyclic scaffold and the attempted interconversion of the [6,7,5,5]-tetracyclic scaffold of ineleganolide to the isomeric [7,6,5,5]-core of scabrolide A and its naturally occurring isomers. Computational evaluation of ground-state energies of late-stage synthetic intermediates was used to guide synthetic development and aid in the investigation of the conformational rigidity of these highly constrained and compact polycyclic structures.

CCDC 1061009: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

Related Article: Robert A. Craig, II, Jennifer L. Roizen, Russell C. Smith, Amanda C. Jones, Scott C. Virgil, Brian M. Stoltz|2017|Chemical Science|8|507|doi:10.1039/C6SC03347D