Relevant Developments in the Use of Three-Component Reactions for the Total Synthesis of Natural Products. The last 15 Years.

Multicomponent reactions (MCRs) offer a highly useful and valuable strategy that can fulfill an important role in synthesizing complex polysubstituted compounds, by simplifying otherwise long sequences and increasing their efficiency. The total synthesis of selected natural products employing three-component reactions as their common strategic MCR approach, is reviewed on a case-by-case basis with selected targets conquered during the last 15 years. The revision includes detailed descriptions of the selected successful sequences; relevant information on the isolation, and bioactivity of the different natural targets is also briefly provided.

Recent developments in the total synthesis of natural products using the Ugi multicomponent reactions as the key strategy.

The total syntheses of selected natural products using different versions of the Ugi multicomponent reaction is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The revision covers the period 2008-2023 and includes detailed descriptions of the synthetic sequences, the use of state-of-the-art chemical reagents and strategies, as well as the advantages and limitations of the transformation and some remedial solutions. Relevant data on the isolation and bioactivity of the different natural targets are also briefly provided. The examples clearly evidence the strategic importance of this transformation and its key role in the modern natural products synthetic chemistry toolbox. This methodology proved to be a valuable means for easily building molecular complexity and efficiently delivering step-economic syntheses even of intricate structures, with a promising future.

Efficient Buchwald-Hartwig and nitrene-mediated five-membered ring closure approaches to the total synthesis of quindoline. Unexpected direct conversion of a nitro group into a phosphazene.

Two total syntheses of quindoline, which take place through the intermediacy of 3-nitroquinoline derivatives, are reported. The general synthetic sequence involves construction of the latter by mechanochemical condensation of benzaldehydes with 2-amino-nitrostyrene, followed either by reduction of the nitro group of the heterocycle and Buchwald-Hartwig cyclization or by a nitrene-mediated cyclization under solventless conditions. Use of PPh3 to generate the nitrene resulted in the unprecedented formation of a phosphazene in place of quindoline. This unexpected transformation was explained by means of DFT computations.

Thermal decomposition of hexamethylenetetramine: mechanistic study and identification of reaction intermediates via a computational and NMR approach.

In a joint DFT and chemometrics study applied to NMR spectra, we disclose the structure of the main decomposition products of hexamethylenetetramine. The combination of these techniques enabled us to propose the structures of near-identical intermediates of the process and to unveil the structure of the main decomposition product of this priviliged structure.

Theoretical Study of the Borono-Mannich Reaction with Pinacol Allenylboronate.

A density functional theory study of the mechanism of the Borono-Mannich reaction using benzylamine and piperidine as representative examples of primary and secondary amines with pinacol allenylboronate is presented. The study shows that both reactions progress through coordination between the boron and the phenolic oxygen. Ring size strain and hydrogen bond activation appear to determine the observed divergent regioselectivity. In the case of benzylamine, the eight-membered ring transition structure that leads to the propargylamine exhibits a hydrogen bond between the hydrogen attached to the nitrogen and the phenolic oxygen (γ-attack), whereas for piperidine a hydrogen bond between the hydrogen on the imine carbon and one of the oxygens of the pinacol group was observed in the six-membered ring transition structure toward the allenylamine (α-attack).

Active Site Mapping of Xylan-Deconstructing Enzymes with Arabinoxylan Oligosaccharides Produced by Automated Glycan Assembly.

Xylan-degrading enzymes are crucial for the deconstruction of hemicellulosic biomass, making the hydrolysis products available for various industrial applications such as the production of biofuel. To determine the substrate specificities of these enzymes, we prepared a collection of complex xylan oligosaccharides by automated glycan assembly. Seven differentially protected building blocks provided the basis for the modular assembly of 2-substituted, 3-substituted, and 2-/3-substituted arabino- and glucuronoxylan oligosaccharides. Elongation of the xylan backbone relied on iterative additions of C4-fluorenylmethoxylcarbonyl (Fmoc) protected xylose building blocks to a linker-functionalized resin. Arabinofuranose and glucuronic acid residues have been selectively attached to the backbone using fully orthogonal 2-(methyl)naphthyl (Nap) and 2-(azidomethyl)benzoyl (Azmb) protecting groups at the C2 and C3 hydroxyls of the xylose building blocks. The arabinoxylan oligosaccharides are excellent tools to map the active site of glycosyl hydrolases involved in xylan deconstruction. The substrate specificities of several xylanases and arabinofuranosidases were determined by analyzing the digestion products after incubation of the oligosaccharides with glycosyl hydrolases.

A theoretical study of the Duff reaction: insights into its selectivity.

The Duff reaction is one of the most employed methods for the ortho-formylation of phenols; however, not much is truly known about its mechanism. Using DFT calculations, we disclose the first theoretical study regarding the selectivity-determining step of the reaction. We have found that this stage is governed by a hydrogen bond, that gives rise to a cyclohexa-2,4-dienone intermediate and establishes the position where the formylation will take place. These findings were evaluated by analysis of the reaction outcome of several non-symmetrically substituted phenols.

The 3,4-dioxygenated 5-hydroxy-4-aryl-quinolin-2(1H)-one alkaloids. Results of 20 years of research, uncovering a new family of natural products.

Covering: up to April 2016Aspergillus and Penicillium are fungal species known to produce a high diversity of secondary metabolites, many of them endowed with interesting bioactivity. The small but steadily growing family of the naturally occurring 5-hydroxy-4-aryl-quinolin-2(1H)-one alkaloids and closely related compounds, which represent the results of various research projects that spanned over 20 years and involved scientists from different continents, are covered here. Emphasis is placed on the isolation and chemical structures of the different compounds, together with their source microorganisms, environmental conditions, country or region of origin, and relevant biological activities. In addition, stereochemical aspects, as well as the proposed biosynthetic pathways for the different members, and the incipient synthetic efforts towards some of the compounds or their key intermediates, are discussed in detail.

A convenient approach to an advanced intermediate toward the naturally occurring, bioactive 6-substituted 5-hydroxy-4-aryl-1H-quinolin-2-ones.

5-Hydroxy-4-aryl-3,4-dihydro-1H-quinolin-2-ones are a small family of natural products isolated from fungal strains of Penicillium and Aspergillus. Most of its members, which are insecticides and anthelmintics, carry an isoprenoid C-6 side chain. The synthesis of a 6-propenyl-substituted advanced intermediate for the total synthesis of these natural products is presented in this paper. This was achieved through the stereoselective construction of a ß,ß-diarylacrylate derivative from 6-nitrosalicylaldehyde, using a Wittig olefination and a Heck-Matsuda arylation, followed by a selective Fe(0)-mediated reductive cyclization. Installation of the 6-propenyl side chain was performed by 5-O-allylation of the heterocycle, followed by Claisen rearrangement and conjugative migration of the allyl double bond, as the key steps. The Grubbs II-catalyzed olefin cross metathesis of the 6-allyl moiety with 2-methylbut-2-ene to afford a precursor of peniprequinolone is also reported.

Thermally induced solid-state transformation of cimetidine. A multi-spectroscopic/chemometrics determination of the kinetics of the process and structural elucidation of one of the products as a stable N3-enamino tautomer.

Exposure of cimetidine (CIM) to dry heat (160-180°C) afforded, upon cooling, a glassy solid containing new and hitherto unknown products. The kinetics of this process was studied by a second order chemometrics-assisted multi-spectroscopic approach. Proton and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), as well as ultraviolet and infrared spectroscopic data were jointly used, whereas multivariate curve resolution with alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) was employed as the chemometrics method to extract process information. It was established that drug degradation follows a first order kinetics. One of the products was structurally characterized by mono- and bi-dimensional NMR experiments. It was found to be the N3-enamino tautomer (TAU) of CIM, resulting from the thermal isomerization of the double bond of the cyanoguanidine moiety of the drug, from the imine form to its N3-enamine state. The thus generated tautomer demonstrated to be stable for months in the glassy solid and in methanolic solutions. A theoretical study of CIM and TAU revealed that the latter is less stable; however, the energy barrier for tautomer interconversion is high enough, precluding the process to proceed rapidly at room temperature.

Neocryptolepine: A Promising Indoloisoquinoline Alkaloid with Interesting Biological Activity. Evaluation of the Drug and its Most Relevant Analogs.

Plants are one of the most important resources for the discovery of new drugs. The potential of natural compounds as new drug leads is clearly illustrated by the discovery and development of many modern medicines. This is an encouraging factor that drives natural products research in the vegetable kingdom. Neocryptolepine is a tetracyclic nitrogen heterocycle isolated from the African climber Cryptolepis sanguinolenta, which is widely used in traditional African medicine in many countries of Central and West Africa. The natural product is one of the representative examples of the small family of indolo[2,3-b]quinoline alkaloids, being endowed of multiple biological activities, including DNA-binding and inhibition of the enzyme topoisomerase II. It is also cytotoxic, antibacterial, antifungal and molluscicidal, also displaying antiprotozoal activity, particularly as antitrypanosomal, antileishmanial, antischistosomal and antiplasmodial. Some of these activities have been related to the product's ability to bind to DNA and to inhibit topoisomerase II; however, the exact mechanisms behind all of the observed bioactivities have not been comprehensively clarified. Major research activities regarding neocryptolepine have been focused into two seemingly opposite fields, related to its cytotoxic and antimalarial properties. Optimization of the natural product as a cytotoxic agent implied improvements in its bioavailability and activity, while the need of non-cytotoxic compounds guided the design and optimization of antimalarial agents. Therefore, the aim of the present article is to systematically review the current knowledge about the diversity of the biological activities related to neocryptolepine, its analogs and derivatives.

A facile and convenient sequential homobimetallic catalytic approach towards ß-methylstyrenes. A one-pot Stille cross-coupling/isomerization strategy.

An efficient one-pot synthetic approach towards ß-methylstyrenes is reported. The transformation, based on sequential homobimetallic catalysis, involves a Stille cross-coupling reaction between aryl halides and allyltributylstannane, followed by an in situ palladium-catalyzed conjugative isomerization. The reaction was optimized, and the best results were obtained with 10 mol% Pd(PPh3)2Cl2, 8.0 equiv. LiCl, and 0.5 equiv. PPh3 in diglyme at 130 °C for 12 h. It was demonstrated that the reaction tolerates a wide variety of functional groups.

Angular tricyclic benzofurans and related natural products of fungal origin. Isolation, biological activity and synthesis.

Naturally-occurring angular tricyclic benzofuran/isobenzofuran derivatives of fungal origin and related compounds, in which two heterocyclic rings are fused to a central benzenoid moiety, are covered. Emphasis is placed on the structure of the compounds, together with their relevant biological activities, source microorganisms, country or region of origin and environmental conditions. In addition, proposed biosynthetic pathways, as well as the total syntheses of some of the compounds, including those that lead to structural revision or to correct stereochemical assignments, and related synthetic efforts, are discussed in detail.

Synthesis of the unique angular tricyclic chromone structure proposed for aspergillitine, and its relationship with alkaloid TMC-120B.

The synthesis of the tricyclic angular chromone structure originally assigned to aspergillitine is reported. The synthesis was achieved in 11 steps and 15% overall yield from 2,4-dihydroxypropiophenone, through the intermediacy of 2,3-dimethyl-7-hydroxychromen-4-one. Construction of the nitrogen-bearing heterocyclic ring entailed a Stille cross-coupling reaction with n-Bu(3)SnCH(2)CH=CH(2), followed by double bond isomerization, oximation of the chromone carbonyl, and a final microwave-assisted electrocyclization of the thus formed 6π-electron aza-triene system.