A detailed study of the diastereoselective catalytic hydrogenation of 6-hydroxytetrahydroisoquinoline-(3R)-carboxylic ester intermediates

A key step towards a highly-selective antagonist of ionotropic glutamate receptors entails the diastereoselective arene hydrogenation of an enantiopure tetrahydroisoquinoline. An extensive screen using parallel reactors was conducted and led to the discovery of several Pd/C catalysts giving high yield and improved diastereoselectivity from 75 : 25 to 95 : 5. A detailed kinetic study of the best system was performed and supports the reduction occuring in two-steps.

A Practical Synthesis of (+)-Discodermolide and Analogues: Fragment Union by Complex Aldol Reactions

A practical stereocontrolled synthesis of (+)-discodermolide (1) has been completed in 10.3% overall yield (23 steps longest linear sequence). The absolute stereochemistry of the C-1-C-6 (7), C-9-C-16 (8), and C-17-C-24 (9) subunits was established via substrate-controlled, boron-mediated, aldol reactions of the chiral ethyl ketones 10, 11, and 12. Key fragment coupling reactions were a lithium-mediated, anti-selective, aldol reaction of aryl ester 8 (under Felkin-Anh induction from the aldehyde component 9), followed by in situ reduction to produce the 1,3-diol 40, and a (+)-diisopinocampheylboron chloride-mediated aldol reaction of methyl ketone 7 (overturning the inherent substrate induction from the aldehyde component 52) to give the (7S)-adduct 58. The flexibility of our overall strategy is illustrated by the synthesis of a number of diastereomers and structural analogues of discodermolide, which should serve as valuable probes for structure-activity studies.</p

1,6-Asymmetric Induction in Boron-Mediated Aldol Reactions: Application to a Practical Total Synthesis of (+)-Discodermolide

By relying solely on substrate-based stereocontrol, a practical total synthesis of the microtubule-stabilizing anticancer agent (+)-discodermolide has been realized. This exploits a novel aldol bond construction with 1,6-stereoinduction from the boron enolate of (Z)-enone 3 in addition to aldehyde 2. The 1,3-diol 7 is employed as a common building block for the C-1-C-5, C-9-C-16, and C-17-C-24 subunits.</p

A Second-Generation Total Synthesis of (+)-Discodermolide: The Development of a Practical Route Using Solely Substrate-Based Stereocontrol

A novel total synthesis of the complex polyketide (+)-discodermolide, a promising anticancer agent of sponge origin, has been completed in 7.8% overall yield over 24 linear steps, with 35 steps altogether. This second-generation approach was designed to rely solely on substrate control for introduction of the required stereochemistry, eliminating the use of all chiral reagents or auxiliaries. The common 1,2-anti-2,3-syn stereotriad found in each of three subunits, aldehyde 9 (C-1-C-5), ester 40 (C-9-C-16), and aldehyde 13 (C-17-C-24), was established via a boron-mediated aldol reaction of ethyl ketone 15 and formaldehyde, followed by hydroxyl-directed reduction to give 1,3-diol 14. Alternatively, a surrogate aldehyde 22 was employed for formaldehyde in this aldol reaction, leading to the beta-hydroxy aldehyde 20 as a common building block, corresponding to the discodermolide stereotriad. Key fragment unions were achieved by a lithium-mediated anti aldol reaction of ester 40 and aldehyde 13 under Felkin-Anh control to provide (16S,17S)-adduct 51 and a boron-mediated aldol reaction between enone 10 and aldehyde 9, exploiting unprecedented remote 1,6-stereoinduction, to give the (5S)-adduct 57.</p