Total Synthesis of Kibdelomycin.

A modular total synthesis of kibdelomycin is disclosed that should enable structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies of this interesting class of antibiotics. The route uses simple building blocks and addresses lingering questions about its structural assignment and relationship to amycolamicin, a recently described natural product reported to have a similar structure. Initial antibacterial assays reveal that both C-22 epimers (the N-glycosidic linkage) of the natural product have similar activity while structurally truncated analogs lose activity.

Olefin Metathesis in Confined Geometries: A Biomimetic Approach toward Selective Macrocyclization.

The synthesis of macrocycles is severely impeded by concomitant oligomer formation. Here, we present a biomimetic approach that utilizes spatial confinement to increase macrocyclization selectivity in the ring-closing metathesis of various dienes at elevated substrate concentration up to 25 mM using an olefin metathesis catalyst selectively immobilized inside ordered mesoporous silicas with defined pore diameters. By this approach, the ratio between macro(mono)cyclization (MMC) product and all undesired oligomerization products (O) resulting from acyclic diene metathesis polymerization was increased from 0.55, corresponding to 35% MMC product obtained with the homogeneous catalyst, up to 1.49, corresponding to 60% MMC product. A correlation between the MMC/O ratio and the substrate-to-pore-size ratio was successfully established. Modification of the inner pore surface with dimethoxydimethylsilane allowed fine-tuning the effective pore size and reversing surface polarity, which resulted in a further increase of the MMC/O ratio up to 2.2, corresponding to >68% MMC product. Molecular-level simulations in model pore geometries help to rationalize the complex interplay between spatial confinement, specific (substrate and product) interaction with the pore surface, and diffusive transport. These effects can be synergistically adjusted for optimum selectivity by suitable surface modification.

Annelated Cyclobutanes by Fe-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of Enyne Acetates.

Cationic Fe complexes of the general type [(Ph3 P)2 Fe(CO)(NO)]X (X=BF4 , BArF4 ) catalyze the redox-neutral cycloisomerization of 1,6- and 1,7-enyneacetates to afford bicyclic cyclobutanes under mild conditions in good yields and diastereoselectivities.

Fe-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of Aryl Allenyl Ketones: Access to 3-Arylidene-indan-1-ones.

A cycloisomerization of aryl allenyl ketones to 3-arylidene-indan-1-ones using a cationic Fe-complex as a catalyst is reported. The catalyst opens a synthetically interesting reaction pathway to this surprisingly underrepresented class of indanones that are not accessible using alternative catalytic systems.

Non-decarbonylative photochemical versus thermal activation of Bu4N[Fe(CO)3(NO)] - the Fe-catalyzed Cloke-Wilson rearrangement of vinyl and arylcyclopropanes.

The base metal complex Bu4N[Fe(CO)3(NO)] (TBA[Fe]) catalyzes the rearrangement of vinyl and arylcyclopropanes both under thermal or photochemical conditions to give the corresponding vinyl or aryldihydrofurans in good to excellent yields. Under photochemical conditions the reaction is performed at room temperature. Spectroscopic investigations show that the metal carbonyl catalyst is not decarbonylated. The best performance was observed at a wavelength of 415 nm. icMRCI+Q analysis of the excited singlet and triplet states of the [Fe(CO)3(NO)] anion was performed and used to calculate the vertical excitation energies which are in good agreement with the experimental data. CASSCF analysis indicates that the Fe center in all excited states of the ferrate becomes more electrophilic while adopting a distorted tetrahedral configuration. Both aspects have a positive synergistic effect on the formation of the initial π-complex with the incoming organic substrate.