Total Synthesis of Sophoraflavanone H and Confirmation of Its Absolute Configuration.

Sophoraflavanone H (1) is a polyphenol with a hybrid-type structure containing 2,3-diaryl-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran and flavanone ring moieties. This compound and related analogues are promising leads for antimicrobial and antitumor drug development. Here we describe a total synthesis of 1 and its diastereomer. The dihydrobenzofuran and flavanone rings were constructed by a Rh-catalyzed asymmetric C-H insertion reaction and selective oxy-Michael reaction. The absolute configuration of 1 was established by X-ray crystallographic analysis and CD spectral investigation of synthetic derivatives.

Ambient temperature synthesis of high enantiopurity N-protected peptidyl ketones by peptidyl thiol ester-boronic acid cross-coupling.

alpha-Amino acid thiol esters derived from N-protected mono-, di-, and tripeptides couple with aryl, pi-electron-rich heteroaryl, or alkenyl boronic acids in the presence of stoichiometric Cu(I) thiophene-2-carboxylate and catalytic Pd(2)(dba)(3)/triethylphosphite to generate the corresponding N-protected peptidyl ketones in good-to-excellent yields and in high enantiopurity. Triethylphosphite plays a key role as a supporting ligand by mitigating an undesired palladium-catalyzed decarbonylation-beta-elimination of the alpha-amino thiol esters. The peptidyl ketone synthesis proceeds at room temperature under nonbasic conditions and demonstrates a high tolerance to functionality.

The first total synthesis of discorhabdin A.

The first stereoselective total synthesis of a potent antitumor alkaloid, discorhabdin A (1), which is a unique sulfur-containing pyrroloiminoquinone alkaloid, is described. The key step in the stereocontrolled total synthesis of 1 involves both a diastereoselective oxidative spirocyclization using a hypervalent iodine(III) reagent and an efficient construction of the labile and highly strained N,S-acetal skeleton. These methodologies provide a breakthrough in the total syntheses of these promising new antitumor agents, discorhabdins and their analogues, which should serve as valuable probes for structure-activity studies.