Discovery and Surprises with Cyclizations, Cycloadditions, Fragmentations, and Rearrangements in Complex Settings.

We discuss a number of synthesis routes to complex natural products recently reported from our group. Although the structures are quite varied, we demonstrate the research endeavor as a setting to examine the implementation of cyclizations, cycloadditions, rearrangements, and fragmentations. We showcase how the various transformations enabled access to key core structures and thereby allowed the rapid introduction of complexity. Two different routes to (-)-mitrephorone A, the first case discussed, led to the use of Koser's reagent to effect oxetane formation from diosphenol derivatives. Even though the Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction represents one of the workhorses of complex molecule synthesis, there are opportunities provided by the complexity of secondary metabolites for discovery, study, and development. In our first approach to (-)-mitrephorone A, Diels-Alder cycloaddition provided access to fused cyclopropanes, while the second synthesis underscored the power of diastereoselective nitrile oxide cycloadditions to access hydroxy ketones. The successful implementation of the second approach required the rigorous stereocontrolled synthesis of tetrasubstituted olefins; this was accomplished by a highly stereoselective Cr-mediated reduction of dienes. The diterpenoid (+)-sarcophytin provided a stage for examining the Diels-Alder cycloaddition of two electron-deficient partners. The study revealed that in the system this unusual combination works optimally with the E,Z-dienoate and proceeds through an exo transition state to provide the desired cycloadduct. Our reported pallambin synthesis showcased the use of fulvene as a versatile building block for the core structure. Fulvene decomposition could be outcompeted by employing it as a diene and using a highly reactive dienophile, which affords a bicyclic product that can in turn be subjected to chemo- and stereoselective manipulations. The synthesis route proceeds with a C-H insertion providing the core structure en route to pallambin A and B. The studies resulting in our synthesis of gelsemoxonine highlight the use of the acid-catalyzed rearrangement/chelotropic extrusion of oxazaspiro[2.4]heptanes to access complex ß-lactams, which are otherwise not readily prepared by extant methods in common use. Mechanistic investigations of the intriguing ring contraction supported by computational studies indicate that the reaction involves a concerted cleavage of the N-O bond and cyclopropane ring opening under the extrusion of ethylene. The synthesis of guanacastepenes focused on the use of cyclohexyne in [2+2]-cycloadditions with enolates. The resulting cyclobutene can be enticed to undergo ring opening to give a fused six-seven ring system. The cycloinsertion reaction of cyclohexyne developed for the first time proves useful as a general approach to complex fused ring systems.