Two approaches to the tricyclic core of the furanoeremophilane sesquiterpenoids are described. The first approach entails a projected Diels-Alder/retro Diels-Alder reaction of an acetylenic oxazole 64. Construction of the pivotal aldehyde 67 commenced from ketone 68. The acetyenic moiety was then introduced via a Felkin-Ahn addition of lithiopropyne to aldehyde...
Studies towards the total synthesis of (-)-gymnodimine (1), a marine neurotoxin with a unique molecular architecture and pronounced biological activity, are described. These studies resulted in a convergent approach to the advanced intermediate 315, containing the C3-C32 section of 1. Two synthetic routes were developed to construct the tetrahydrofuran subunit...
The rearrangement of a homoallyl cation to a cyclopropylcarbinyl cation is thought to play a role in the biogenesis of a variety of cyclopropane-containing natural products,¹ a hypothesis which has previously led to the design of successful biomimetic syntheses of several natural products.² The strategy underlying this approach to cyclopropane...
PART I. The preparation of (-)-ibogamine (1) in fourteen steps from benzoquinone and in 10% overall yield is a powerful illustration of the value of the asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction as a starting point in a multistep synthesis. All four cycloadducts, 70, 77, 84 and 96, obtained with the (S)-BINOL-TiCl₂ complex...
The mycosporins, formerly called P310's are secondary metabolites
of fungi closely associated with fungal reproductive processes that
require light. The structurally related iminomycosporins are found in
marine plants and animals and may also have functions related to
light. In this study, approaches toward the asymmetric synthesis of
the mycosporins are...
A synthetic approach toward the two major fragments of cathedulin K-19,
euonyminol (4) and dimethyl cathate (69), was investigated. Synthesis of
dimethyl cathate was accomplished in 3 steps starting from 73. Efforts directed
towards the synthesis of euonyminol, a highly oxygenated dihydroagarofuran
sesquiterpene, was advanced to a stage in which...
Studies toward the total synthesis of a highly potent cytotoxic marine natural product, phorboxazole A, were conducted and resulted in a route to an advanced intermediate, C4-C32, for this purpose. A key feature of our approach is the stereoselective synthesis of two cis-2,6-disubstituted tetrahydropyrans present in the macrolide portion of...