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Aziridines are readily available C(sp3) precursors that afford valuable β-functionalized amines upon ring opening. In this article, we report a Ni/photoredox methodology for C(sp3)-C(sp3) cross-coupling between aziridines and methyl/1°/2° aliphatic alcohols activated as benzaldehyde dialkyl acetals. Orthogonal activation modes of each alkyl coupling partner facilitate cross-selectivity in the C(sp3)-C(sp3) bond-forming reaction: the benzaldehyde dialkyl acetal is activated via hydrogen atom abstraction and β-scission via a bromine radical (generated in situ from single-electron oxidation of bromide), whereas the aziridine is activated at the Ni center via reduction. We demonstrate that an Ni(II) azametallacycle, conventionally proposed in aziridine cross-coupling, is not an intermediate in the productive cross-coupling. Rather, stoichiometric organometallic and linear free energy relationship studies indicate that aziridine activation proceeds via Ni(I) oxidative addition, a previously unexplored elementary step.

We report a data-driven, physical organic approach to the development of new methionine-selective bioconjugation reagents with tunable adduct stabilities. Statistical modeling of structural features described by intrinsic physical organic parameters was applied to the development of a predictive model and to gain insight into features driving the stability of adducts formed from the chemoselective coupling of oxaziridine and methionine thioether partners through Redox Activated Chemical Tagging (ReACT). From these analyses, a correlation between sulfimide stabilities and sulfimide ν (C═O) stretching frequencies was revealed. We exploited the rational gains in adduct stability exposed by this analysis to achieve the design and synthesis of a bis-oxaziridine reagent for peptide stapling. Indeed, we observed that a macrocyclic peptide formed by ReACT stapling at methionine exhibited improved uptake into live cells compared to an unstapled congener, highlighting the potential utility of this unique chemical tool for thioether modification. This work provides a template for the broader use of data-driven approaches to bioconjugation chemistry and other chemical biology applications.

A Ni-catalyzed reductive cross-coupling of styrenyl aziridines with aryl iodides is reported. This reaction proceeds by a stereoconvergent mechanism and is thus amenable to asymmetric catalysis using a chiral bioxazoline ligand for Ni. The process allows facile access to highly enantioenriched 2-arylphenethylamines from racemic aziridines. Multivariate analysis revealed that ligand polarizability, among other features, influences the observed enantioselectivity, shedding light on the success of this emerging ligand class for enantioselective Ni catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aziridines are compounds with a nitrogen-containing three-membered ring. When it is incorporated into natural products, the reactivity of the strained ring often drives the biological activities of aziridines. Despite its importance, the enzymes and biosynthetic strategies deployed to install this reactive moiety remain understudied. Herein, we report the use of in silico methods to identify enzymes with potential aziridine-installing (aziridinase) functionality. To validate candidates, we reconstitute enzymatic activity in vitro and demonstrate that an iron(IV)-oxo species initiates aziridine ring closure by the C-H bond cleavage. Furthermore, we divert the reaction pathway from aziridination to hydroxylation using mechanistic probes. This observation, isotope tracing experiments using H 2 18 O and 18 O 2 , and quantitative product analysis, provide evidence for the polar capture of a carbocation species by the amine in the pathway to aziridine installation.

Catalyst-controlled divergent intermolecular cycloadditions of vinylaziridines with alkynes have been developed. By using [Rh(NBD)2]BF4 as the catalyst, a [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction was achieved with broad substrate scope and high stereoselectivity under mild reaction conditions. Moreover, the chirality of vinylaziridines can be completely transferred to the [3 + 2] cycloadducts. When the catalyst was changed to [Rh(η6-C10H8) (COD)]SbF6, the alternative [5 + 2] cycloadducts were selectively formed under otherwise identical conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chiral cyclometalated π-allyliridium ortho-C,O-benzoate complex (R)-Ir-VIb derived from [Ir(cod)CI]2, allyl acetate, 4-cyano-3-nitro-benzoic acid, and (R)-MeO-BIPHEP catalyzes the coupling of N-(p-nitrophenylsulfonyl) protected vinyl aziridine 3a with primary alcohols 1a-1I to furnish branched products of C-C bond formation 4a-4I with good levels of anti-diastereo- and enantioselectivity. In the presence of 2-propanol, but under otherwise identical conditions, vinyl aziridine 3a and aldehydes 2a-2I engage in reductive coupling to furnish an equivalent set of adducts 4a-4I with roughly equivalent levels of anti-diastereo- and enantioselectivity. Using enantiomeric iridium catalysts, vinyl aziridine 3a reacts with unprotected chiral 1,3-diols 1m-1o in a site-selective manner to deliver the diastereomeric products of C-allylation syn-4m, -4n, -4o and anti-4m, -4n, -4o, respectively, with good isolated yields and excellent levels of catalyst-directed diastereoselectivity. These adducts were directly converted to the diastereomeric 2,4,5-trisubstituted piperidines syn-5m, -5n, -5o and anti-5m, -5n, -5o. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Ni-catalyzed Negishi cross-coupling with 1,1-disubstituted styrenyl aziridines has been developed. This method delivers valuable β-substituted phenethylamines via a challenging reductive elimination that affords a quaternary carbon. A novel electron-deficient olefin ligand, Fro-DO, proved crucial for achieving high rates and chemoselectivity for C-C bond formation over β-H elimination. This ligand is easy to access, is stable, and presents a modular framework for reaction discovery and optimization. We expect that these attributes, combined with the fact that the ligands impart distinct electronic properties to a metal, will support the invention of new transformations not previously possible using established ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By taking advantage of vinyl aziridines as a heteroatom-containing five-atom component in rhodium-catalyzed intramolecular formal hetero-[5 + 2] cycloaddition reactions with alkynes, a highly efficient method for the synthesis of fused azepine derivatives at 30 °C was developed. The reaction has broad substrate scope and tolerates a wide range of functional groups. The chirality of vinyl aziridine-alkyne substrates can be completely transferred to the cycloadducts, representing an atom-economic and enantiospecific protocol for the construction of fused 2,5-dihydroazepines for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first synthesis of a strained sixmembered cyclic ynamide is described. N-Tosyl-3-azacyclohexyne is generated via fluoride-promoted 1,2 elimination under conditions that allow trapping of the strained heterocyclic alkyne in a variety of addition, insertion, and [2 + 2], [3 + 2], and [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regiodivergent parallel kinetic resolution of aziridines with malonates was achieved under dinuclear Schiff base catalysis. The regiodivergent reaction proceeded under catalystcontrol irrespective of the substituents on the aziridines, and 2.5—10 mol % of a Y(OTf)3/La(OiPr)3/a dinucleating Schiff base = 1:1:1 mixture gave versatile γ-amino acid derivatives in 96 → 99.5% ee. Not only terminal but also internal racemic aziridines reacted smoothly under suitably combined Lewis acid/Brønsted base catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of site-specific integration of fragments into macrocyclic entities has not yet found application in the realm of synthetic chemistry. Here we show that the reduced amidicity of aziridine amide bonds provides an entry point for the site-specific integration of amino acids and peptide fragments into the homodetic cyclic peptide architecture. This new synthetic operation improves both the convergence and divergence of cyclic peptide synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly diastereo- and enantioselective ring-opening alkylation of racemic 2,2-disubstituted aziridines with 3-substituted oxindoles is achieved under the catalysis of a chiral 1,2,3-triazolium salt. This reaction represents a hitherto unknown, catalytic stereoselective carbon–carbon bond formation through direct substitution at the tetrasubstituted chiral carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-heme iron enzymes are versatile catalysts in the biosynthesis of medicinal natural products and have attracted increasing attention as practical catalytic tools in chemical synthesis due to their ability to perform chemically challenging transformations. The Fe(II)/α-ketoglutarate-dependent oxygenase TqaL catalyzes unusual aziridine formation from l-Val via cleavage of the unactivated C β -H bond. However, the mechanistic details as well as the synthetic potential of TqaL-catalyzed ring closure remain unclear. Herein, we show that the TqaL-catalyzed aziridination of l-Val proceeds with an atypical, mixed stereochemical course involving both the retention and inversion of the C3(C β ) stereocenter. It is also demonstrated that TqaL accepts l-Ile and l- allo -Ile to generate the same diastereomeric pairs of aziridine products via an enzyme-controlled, stereoconvergent process. Our mutagenesis studies reveal that the reaction type (aziridination versus hydroxylation) and the stereochemical outcome are regulated by Ile343 and Phe345. Proper substitutions of Ile343 or Phe345 also make TqaL highly active toward the oxidation of α-amino acid substrates. This work provides mechanistic insights into the stereoselectivity and substrate specificity of the TqaL reactions.

Aziridines are readily available C(sp 3 ) precursors that afford valuable β-functionalized amines upon ring opening. In this article, we report a Ni/photoredox methodology for C(sp 3 )-C(sp 3 ) cross-coupling between aziridines and methyl/1°/2° aliphatic alcohols activated as benzaldehyde dialkyl acetals. Orthogonal activation modes of each alkyl coupling partner facilitate cross-selectivity in the C(sp 3 )-C(sp 3 ) bond-forming reaction: the benzaldehyde dialkyl acetal is activated via hydrogen atom abstraction and β-scission via a bromine radical (generated in situ from single-electron oxidation of bromide), whereas the aziridine is activated at the Ni center via reduction. We demonstrate that an Ni(II) azametallacycle, conventionally proposed in aziridine cross-coupling, is not an intermediate in the productive cross-coupling. Rather, stoichiometric organometallic and linear free energy relationship studies indicate that aziridine activation proceeds via Ni(I) oxidative addition, a previously unexplored elementary step.

Organic N-containing compounds, including amines, are essential components of many biologically and pharmaceutically important molecules. One strategy for introducing nitrogen into substrates with multiple reactive bonds is to insert a monovalent N fragment (nitrene or nitrenoid) into a C–H bond or add it directly to a C═C bond. However, it has been challenging to develop well-defined catalysts capable of promoting predictable and chemoselective aminations solely through reagent control. Herein, we report remarkable chemoselective aminations that employ a single metal (Ag) and a single ligand (phenanthroline) to promote either aziridination or C–H insertion by manipulating the coordination geometry of the active catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photoinduced and thermal denitrogenation of crystalline triazolines with bulky substituents leads to the quantitative formation of aziridines in clean solid-to-solid reactions despite very large structural changes in the transition from reactant to product. Analysis of the reaction progress by powder X-ray diffraction, solid-state 13C CPMAS NMR, solid-state FTIR spectroscopy, and thermal analysis has revealed that solid-to-solid reactions proceed either through metastable phases susceptible to amorphization or by mechanisms that involve a reconstructive phase transition that culminates in the formation of the stable phase of the product. While the key for a solid-to-solid transformation is that the reaction occurs below the eutectic temperature of the reactant and product two-component system, experimental evidence suggests that those reactions will undergo a reconstructive phase transition when they take place above the glass transition temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supported amines are a promising class of CO 2 sorbents offering large uptake capacities and fast uptake rates. Among supported amines, poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) physically impregnated in the mesopores of SBA-15 silica is widely used. Within these composite materials, the chain dynamics and morphologies of PEI strongly influence the CO 2 capture performance, yet little is known about chain and macromolecule mobility in confined pores. Here, we probe the impact of the support-PEI interactions on the dynamics and structures of PEI at the support interface and the corresponding impact on CO 2 uptake performance, which yields critical structure-property relationships. The pore walls of the support are grafted with organosilanes with different chemical end groups to differentiate interaction modes (spanning from strong attraction to repulsion) between the pore surface and PEI. Combinations of techniques, such as quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS), 1 H T 1 - T 2 relaxation correlation solid-state NMR, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, are used to comprehensively assess the physical properties of confined PEI. We hypothesized that PEI would have faster dynamics when subjected to less attractive or repulsive interactions. However, we discover that complex interfacial interactions resulted in complex structure-property relationships. Indeed, both the chain conformation of the surface-grafted chains and of the PEI around the surface influenced the chain mobility and CO 2 uptake performance. By coupling knowledge of the dynamics and distributions of PEI with CO 2 sorption performance and other characteristics, we determine that the macroscopic structures of the hybrid materials dictate the first rapid CO 2 uptake, and the rate of CO 2 sorption during the subsequent gradual uptake stage is determined by PEI chain motions that promote diffusive jumps of CO 2 through PEI-packed domains.

The first highly enantioselective desymmetrization of aziridines with phosphites has been developed. Excellent yields and enantioselectivities were observed for the reaction with various aziridines using a new class of readily accessible chiral catalysts derived from 9-amino-9-deoxy-epi-cinchona alkaloids. In studies probing the reaction mechanism, we observed some complexes for the cinchona alkaloid amide-Zn(II) by ESI-MS analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CO2 adsorption characteristics of prototypical poly(ethyleneimine)/silica composite adsorbents can be drastically enhanced by altering the acid/base properties of the oxide support via incorporation of Zr into the silica support. Introduction of an optimal amount of Zr resulted in a significant improvement in the CO2 capacity and amine efficiency under dilute (simulated flue gas) and ultradilute (simulated ambient air) conditions. Adsorption experiments combined with detailed characterization by thermogravimetric analysis, temperature-programmed desorption, and in situ FT-IR spectroscopy clearly demonstrate a stabilizing effect of amphoteric Zr sites that enhances the adsorbent capacity, regenerability, and stability over continued recycling. It is suggested that the important role of the surface properties of the oxide support in these polymer/oxide composite adsorbents has been largely overlooked and that the properties may be even further enhanced in the future by tuning the acid/ base properties of the support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction between N-sulfonyl aziridines and organozinc reagents is reported. The catalytic system comprises an inexpensive and air-stable Ni(II) source and dimethyl fumarate as ligand. Regioselective synthesis of β-substituted aniines is possible under mild and functional-group-tolerant con- ditions. The stereoselectivity of the reaction is consistent with a stereoconvergent mechanism wherein the sulfona- mide directs C-C bond formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytic asymmetric chloride and bromide ring openings of meso aziridines with trimethylsilyl halides have been developed using modular chiral 1,2,3-triazolium chlorides as catalysts. Control experiments suggest the reaction pathway involving hypervalent silicate ions as reactive intermediates. The application of this system to the efficient kinetic resolution of terminal aziridines is also reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new iron aziridination catalyst supported by a macrocyclic tetracarbene ligand has been synthesized. The catalyst, [(Me,EtTCPh)Fe(NCCH3)2](pFo)2 was synthesized from the tetraimidazolium precursor (Me, EtTCPh)(I)4 and characterized by NMR spectroscopy, elec- trospray ionization mass spectrometry, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. This iron complex catalyzes the aziridina- tion of electron-donating aryl azides and a wide variety of substituted aliphatic alkenes, including tetrasubstituted ones, in a "C2 + N1" addition reaction. Finally, the catalyst can be recovered and reused up to three additional times without significant reduction in yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of metallosalen-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been prepared by the post-synthesis modification of Mn~SO-MOF, a Mn3+(sa1en)-based MOF. Treatment of MnIIISO-MOF with H2O2 effects the removal of the Mn3+ ions from the salen struts, which can then be remetalated with a variety of metal precursors to form iso- structural MSO-MOF materials. The presence of the new metallosalen struts in MSO-MOF was fully con&med by ICP-OES, MALDI-TOF MS, PXRD, and TGA. Furthermore, the remetalated MnIIISO-MOF material displays similar cataly- tic activity and porosity to the parent MOF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the remarkable advances in catalytic asymmetric aziridinations over the past decades, establishing a general procedure for the stereoselective synthesis of trisubstituted aziridines has remained an elusive goal. Chiral N-triflyl phosphoramide-catalyzed reactions of Nα-diazoacyl oxazolidinones and N-Boc imines were developed as a solution to this unmet challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugated polymers possessing a poly(2,S- dimethylene-2,S-dihydrofuran) backbone were prepared through postpolymerization reaction of styrenic polyke- tones with bromine in one-pot reactions. The modification is proposed to proceed via condensation of two repeating units to form a fully characterized polymer with a poly(2,S- dimethylenetetrahydrofuran) backbone. Subsequent bromi- nation and elimination of HBr yield a polymer with a fully conjugated carbon backbone. The new conjugated polymers were characterized by NMR, IR, and UV-vis spectroscopies and by CV. These polymers have strong absorption in the visible region, with the absorption peaks shifted to the NIR region upon doping with acids. The ease of the synthesis of the starting polyketone and of the modifications allows large-scale preparation of those conjugated polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method is described which provides for the direct asymmetric catalytic synthesis of trisubstituted aziridines from imines and diazo compounds. While unactivated imines were not reactive to α-diazo carbonyl compounds in which the diazo carbon was disubstituted, N-Boc imines react with both α-diazo esters and α-diazo-N-acyloxazolidinones to give trisubstituted aziridines with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rates of the epoxidation reactions of aidehydes, of the aziridination reactions of aldimines, and of the cyclopropanation reactions of α,β-unsaturated ketones with aryl-stabilized dimethylsulfonium ylides have been determined photometrically in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). All of these sulfur ylide-mediated cydization reactions as well as the addition reactions of stabilized carbanions to N-tosyl-activated aldimines have been shown to follow a second-order rate law, where the rate constants reflect the (initial) CC bond formation between nucleophile and electrophile. The derived second-order constants (log k2) have been combined with the known nucleophilicity parameters (N, SN) of the aryl-stabilized sulfur ylides 4a,b and of the acceptor-substituted carbanions 4c-h to calculate the electrophiicity parameters E of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes (1a-i), N-acceptor-substituted aromatic aldimines (2a-e), and α,β-unsaturated ketones (3a-f) according to the linear free-energy relationship log k2 = SN(N + E) as defined in J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 9500-95 12. The data reported in this work provide the first quantitative comparison of the electrophilic reactivities of aldehydes, imines, and simple Michael acceptors in DMSO with carbocations and cationic metal-π complexes within our comprehensive electrophilicity scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on a research work analyzing aziridinofullerene as a platform for functionalized fullerenes. The study revealed that functionalized fullerenes can be synthesized efficiently with the help of aziridine moiety, which acts as an acid-triggered reacting template on the fullerene core.

We report that nitrogen heterocycles can serve as competent nucleophiles in the palladium-catalyzed dynamic kinetic asymmetric alkylation of vinyl aziridines. The resulting alkylated products were obtained with high regio-, chemo-, and enantioselectivity. Both substituted 1H-pyrroles and 1H-indoles were successfully employed to give exclusively the branched N-alkylated products. The synthetic utility of this process was demonstrated by applying this method to the preparation of several medicinal chemistry lead compounds and bromopyrrole alkaloids including longamide B, longamide B methyl ester, hanishin, agesamides A and B, and cyclooroidin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A substrate induced covalent assembly of a highly organized chemzyme known to be effective in both catalytic asymmetric aziridination and aza Diels-Alder reactions is described and the information gained from which led to an efficient one-pot aziridination protocol. The crystal structures of two chemzyme-iminium complexes were elucidated by X-ray diffraction analysis that provides critical insights into the binding of the substrates with the chemzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stereochemistry-determining step of the self- assembled chiral Brønsted acid-catalyzed aziridination reactions of MEDAM imines and three representative diazo nucleophiles has been studied using ONIOM(B3LYP/6-31G*:AM1) calculations. The origin of cis selectivity in the reactions of ethyldiaz-oacetate and trans selectivity in reactions of N-phenyldiazoace-tamide can be understood on the basis of the difference in specific noncovalent interactions in the stereochemistry-determining transition state. A H-bonding interaction between the amidic hydrogen and an oxygen atom of the chiral counterion has been identified as the key interaction responsible for this reversal in diastereo-selectivity. This hypothesis was validated when a 30 diazoamide lacking this interaction showed pronounced cis selectivity both experimentally and calculationally. Similar trends in diastereoselection were observed in analogous reactions catalyzed by triflic acid. The broad implications of these findings and their relevance to chiral Br&3x00F8;nsted acid catalysis are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral polyborate based Br&3x00F8;nsted acids prepared from the VANOL and VAPOL ligands are known to catalyze the reaction of diarylmethyl mines with diazoesters to give cis- aziridines. In the present work, this same catalyst is shown to catalyze the reaction of the same imines with diazoacetamides to give trans-aziridines with the same high asymmetric inductions as seen with cis-aziridines, enabling the development of an unprecedented universal catalytic asymmetric aziridination protocol. The substrate scope is broad and includes imines prepared from both electron-rich and electron-poor aromatic aldehydes and also from 10, 2°, and 3° aliphatic aldehydes. The face selectivity of the addition to the imine was found to be independent of the diazo compounds. The (S)-VANOL or (S)-VAPOL derived catalyst will cause both diazoesters and diazoacetamides to add to the Si-face of the imine when cis-aziridines are formed and both to add to the Re-face of the imine when trans-aziridines are formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel transformation in which mono- or dialkyl-substituted furans are converted into 1 ,2-dihydropyridines upon reaction with Phl=NTs at room temperature is reported. The reaction is catalyzed by complexes of general formula TpxM (M = Cu, Ag) and consists of a one-pot procedure with four consecutive catalytic cycles. Furan aziridination is followed by aziridine ring-opening, transimination reaction, inverse-electronic-demand aza-Diels-Alder reaction, and a final hydrogen elimination reaction. The mechanism of the overall transformation is proposed where the metal complex displays a crucial role along the reaction pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of seven cyclopent-3-en-1 -ylmethylamines bearing one, two, or three methyl substituents at the C2, 03, C4, or Cα positions, including the unsubstituted parent, was accessed by ring-closing metatheses of α,α-diallylacetonitrile (or methallyl variants) and α,α-diallylacetone followed by hydride reductions or reductive amination, or by Curtius degradationsof α,α-dimethyl- and 2,2,3-trimethylcyclopent- 3-enylacetic acids. Oxidation of the primary amines with Pb(OAc)4 in CH2Cl2, CHCl3 or benzene in the presence of K2CO3 effected efficient intramolecular aziridinations, in all cases except the α-methyl analogue (16), to form the corresponding 1 -azatricyclo[2.2.1 .02,6]heptanes, including the novel monoterpene analogues, 1 -azatricyclene and the 2-azatricyclene enantiomers. The cumulative rate increases of aziridination reactions observed by 1H NMR spectroscopy in CDCl3 resulting from the presence of one or two methyl groups on the cyclopentene double bond, in comparison to the rate of the unsubstituted parent amine (1 :17.5:>280), indicate a highly electrophilic intermediate as the nitrene donor and a symmetrical aziridine-like transition state. A mechanism is outlined in which the amine displaces an acetate ligand from Pb(OAc)4 to form a lead(lV) amide intermediate RNHPb(OAc)3 proposed as the actual aziridinating species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ustiloxins A-F are antimitotic heterodetic cyclopeptides containing a 13-membered cyclic core structure with a synthetically challenging chiral tertiary alkyl-aryl ether linkage. The first total synthesis of ustiloxin D was achieved in 31 linear steps using an SNAr reaction. An NOE study of this synthetic product showed that ustiloxin D existed as a single atropisomer. Subsequently, highly concise and convergent syntheses of ustiloxins D and F were developed by utilizing a newly discovered ethynyl aziridine ring-opening reaction in a longest linear sequence of 15 steps. The approach was further optimized to achieve a better macrolactamization strategy. Ustiloxins D, F, and eight analogues (14-MeO-ustiloxin D, four analogues with different amino acid residues at the C-6 position, and three (9R,10S)-epi-ustiloxin analogues) were prepared via the second-generation route. Evaluation of these compounds as inhibitors of tubulin polymerization demonstrated that variation at the C-6 position is tolerated to a certain extent. In contrast, the S configuration of the C-9 methylamino group and a free phenolic hydroxyl group are essential for inhibition of tubulin polymerization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]