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The mechanism we propose for the cyclopentane annulation is the following one. The allylic reagent (5D) attacks the siloxypyrylium salts (2a,b) at the C2 position, giving the intermediate carbocation (B) which is stabilized by the trimethylsilyl and the methyl group. Attack by the emerging enolate at C 3 , forms the five-membered ring compound (8a,b). Generally, electrophiles attack allylic silanes anti to the silyl group. Since there is undoubtedly interaction with the silicon in the transition state, the stereochemistry of the bridged intermediate (B) should be trans geometry due to stereoelectronic effect and allylic 1,3-strain. In the reaction of 2a, the favored pathway is cyclization. However, competition between cyclization and desilylation was observed in 2b due to steric hindrance between the two methyl groups at the step of cyclization

The construction of a highly functionalized adamantane core of plukenetione-type polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (PPAPs) is described. The method features the construction of the bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane core (3) by successive Michael reactions and the construction of the adamantane core of plukenetione-type PPAPs by acid-catalyzed cyclization of a bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane precursor (2).

A monogalactosyl monoacylglycerol 1 and two digalactosyl monoacylglycerols 2 and 3 were isolated from a cultured marine dinoflagellate Heterocapsa circularisquama along with known (2S)-1-O-6,9,12,15-octadecatetraenoyl-3-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl]-sn-glycerol (4). On the basis of spectral analysis, the glycolipid 1 was characterised as (2S)-1-O-3,6,9,12,15-octadecapentaenoyl-3-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl]-sn-glycerol. The glycolipids 2 and 3 were characterised as (2S)-1-O-3,6,9,12,15-octadecapentaenoyl-3-O-[alpha-D-galactopyranosyl-(1''' --> 6'')-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl]-sn-glycerol and (2S)-1-O-6,9,12,15-octadecatetraenoyl-3-O-[alpha-D-galactopyranosyl-(1''' --> 6'')-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl]-sn-glycerol, respectively. The isolated monoacylglycerols 1-4 showed cytolytic activity towards heart and gill cells of oyster.

New title dibenzobicyclic stiboranes and related phosphoranes were prepared by means of tridentate 2,2′-diphenolamines. Coordination number of the central pnictogen atoms (Sb and P) changed from three into five during the reaction.

The reactions of allylstannanes with 4-siloxy-1-benzopyrylium salts gave the corresponding allylated derivatives more smoothly than allylsilanes. Similar reactions with 3-trimethylsilyl-1-butene afforded unexpected five-membered ring adducts in 87% and 37% yields, respectively.

Symmetrical 10-S-3 sulfuranes ( 1a - c ) fused with two pyrimidine rings and their unsymmetrically substituted ones ( 1d , e ) were synthesized by oxidation of the corresponding thioureas. Substituent effect on the kinetic data of the restricted rotation was explained in terms of the balance of electron-withdrawing ability of the ligand in the NSN hypervalent bond.

A method for the practical construction of poly-functionalized bicyclo[3.3.1]nonenones by successive Michael reactions of cyclohexenones with acrylates using K2CO3 and TBAB (n-Bu4N+ Br-) was developed. The construction could be carried out in both stepwise and one-pot reactions with similar tendencies in regioselectivity. The alpha-regioselectivity in the intramolecular Michael reaction agreed with that stereoelectronically expected in intermolecular reactions based upon consideration of the HOMO orbital profile of the enolate I, the precursor to ring-closure, although the reaction site was trisubstituted and prone to steric hindrance in most of the examples presented. For the acetoxymethylacrylates substituted at either the alpha or gamma position, steric hindrance of the substituents (R2 and R3) served as a controlling factor to induce high regiocontrol. Facial selection in the protonation of enolate II, formed upon ring-closure, was also affected by these substituents. In both the intramolecular Michael reaction and the protonation of enolate II, the ammonium counter cation played an important role.

Cinchonidine catalyzed the cyclopropanation reaction between chloromethyl ketones and β-substituted methylidenemalononitriles to give trans-cyclopropanes with enantioselectivity up to 82% ee. Experimental evidence suggests that cinchonidine functions as a chiral Bronsted base catalyst in the reaction and hydrogen bonding is essential for inducing high enantioselectivity.

A 6-alkyl-4,5-epoxy-6-hydroxy-2-cyclohexen-1-one derivative, a model compound for the hydrophilic moiety of scyphostatin, was stereoselectively synthesized from the Diels–Alder adduct. The key steps were the reductive cleavage of the 4,5-epoxide ring of the epoxidated adduct, the 1,3-carbonyl transposition of the 3-carbonyl group to the C1 position by a Wharton reaction and stereoselective bromination to provide a trans bromohydrin derivative, a precursor to the desired compound. Desilylation of the bromohydrin derivative with TBAF directly gave the target compound.

Construction of the bicyclo[3.3.1]nonenone core was achieved by stepwise annulation of 2-cyclohexenone derivatives and acrylates via successive Michael reactions. The process could also be effected by a one-pot procedure.

The diastereofacial selectivity operating in Diels-Alder additions involving spirocyclic cross-conjugated cyclohexadienones with dienes of varying reactivity has been investigated. The study has included the ether series 1a-c as well as the lactone/ketone pair 2a/2b. In all cases, the preferred [4+2] cycloaddition pathway consisted of bonding from that pi-surface syn to the oxygen atom. 4-Substituted-4-methyl-2,5-cyclohexadienones (monocyclic systems) were also examined and found to undergo bond formation preferentially from the face bearing the more electron-withdrawing of the two groups at the 4 position. Kinetic parameters were determined for the cycloaddition of 1a and 2a to cyclopentadiene. The rate acceleration profile of solvents was in the order CF(3)CH(2)OHCH(3)CN approximately CH(2)Cl(2) for the production of 9a from 1a and CF(3)CH(2)OHCH(2)Cl(2)CH(3)CN for the production of 21a from 2a, respectively. This spread in polarity had no major impact on product distribution, a phenomenon also reflected in the behavior of 4-substituted-4-methyl-2,5-cyclohexadienones under comparable conditions. Theoretical assessment of these experimental facts was undertaken at the HF/6-31G level. The facial selectivity is understandable in terms of the secondary interaction between the HOMO of the diene and LUMO of the dienophile as well as the effective hyperconjugation between the newly forming bond and the 4-anti-C-C sigma-orbital due to the more electron-donating bond, as defined by the Cieplak model.

The Diels-Alder reaction of spirolactones with cyclopentadiene afforded the adduct with high pi-facial selectivity; a hydrophilic analogue of scyphostatin was synthesized from the Diels-Alder adduct.

With the purpose of developing a method of preparing Z-alpha,beta-unsaturated amides, the Peterson reaction of the (triphenylsilyl)acetamide Ph(3)SiCH(2)COX (1, X = NBn(2); 3, X = NMe(2)) with various aldehydes was examined. The reaction of aromatic aldehydes gave selectivities up to >97:3. It was found that the selectivity was a function of the electronic nature of the aromatic ring and higher Z selectivity was attained with electron-rich aldehydes. With aliphatic aldehydes selectivities up to 92:8 were achieved, and unlike with analogous phosphorus reagents, less sterically hindered aldehydes gave higher Z selectivity. Also, 3, which has a smaller amide group than 1, tended to give rise to higher selectivity. A comparison with the reaction of trimethylsilyl analogues revealed the significance of the phenyl substituents on the silyl group.

The reaction of various mono-substituted methylidenemalononitriles with (−)-8-phenylmenthyl α-pyridiniumacetate in the presence of base afforded the corresponding dicyanocyclopropane compounds with exclusive trans -selectivity and good diastereoselectivity (up to 86:14). The stereochemistry of the major products were determined to be of 1 R configuration by X-ray structural analysis of the crystalline trans -2,2-dicyano-3-(4-pyridyl)cyclopropanecarboxylate. The geometric and diastereofacial selectivities were rationalized assuming anti -periplanar approach in the open-chain model, followed by epimerization and then cyclization to give the cyclopropane compounds.

The Peterson reaction of triphenylsilylacetamide Ph3SiCH2CONBn2 with aromatic aldehydes and certain aliphatic aldehydes proceeded to give the corresponding α,β-unsaturated amide with high Z selectivity (up to Z∶E = >97∶

Catalysts, oligo-L-leucine, for the Julia-Colonna asymmetric epoxidation of chalcone with defined degrees of polymerization were prepared by a stepwise elongation method. The yield and enantioselectivity in the epoxidation increased with the degree of polymerization of the catalyst. The presence of an unprotected amine moiety at the N-terminus proved to be essential for high asymmetric induction. The IR characteristic absorption bands (the amide I region) of the catalysts suggested that helical structure in the catalyst is related to asymmetric induction.

The solvent effects on stereoselectivity in the Diels–Alder reaction of cyclopentadiene, the [2 + 2]photodimerization of 2-cyclopentenone, and the enzymatic asymmetrization of prochiral 1,3-propane...

The [5+2]cycloaddition reaction of 2-substituted-3-oxidopyrylium betaine with dialkyl fumarates was found to proceed with stereoselectivity up to 15.5 : 1. The stereoselectivity became higher as either the 2-substituent of the 3-oxidopyrylium or the alkoxy group of the fumarate became larger. The stereoselectivity could be rationalized by considering these steric effects.

In the hydrolysis of several dipeptides by carboxypeptidase-Y (CPD-Y), there was found a good linear relationship (r = 0.999) between Michaelis–Menten constant Km and hydrophobicity of the substrates evaluated as relative elution volume in reversed-phase HPLC.

Ab initio MO calculations were performed on the cyclopropanation reaction of methylidenemalononitriles with the ylide generated from α-pyridiniumacetates. The calculations indicated that the rate-determining step was the final cyclopropane forming step for the gas phase reaction, whereas solvent effect approximations implied that it was the initial Michael addition leading to the cis intermediate for reaction in water. It was also revealed that the plausible [3+2] cycloaddition reaction to give bicyclic products is more likely to be a stepwise and not an asynchronous concerted process in DFT calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory.

Length-defined organic solvent soluble oligo-L-leucines containing an Aib residue were prepared by stepwise elongation and fragment condensation methods, and were used as catalysts in the Julia–Colonna asymmetric epoxidation reaction. The yield and enantioselectivity rose by increasing the number of amino acid units in the catalyst. The enantioselectivity was very sensitive to the reaction solvent. The IR characteristic bands (the amide I region) in CH2Cl2 indicated the soluble catalysts to be of helical structure in solution.

The Peterson reaction of triphenylsilylacetamide Ph3SiCH2CONBn2 with aromatic aldehydes and certain aliphatic aldehydes proceeded to give the corresponding α,β-unsaturated amide with high Z selectivity (up to Z∶E = >97∶

(2S,6S)-2,4,6-Tris(phenylmethyl)piperazine was prepared in 11 steps and 53% overall yield from S-phenylalanine. Key steps in the synthesis involved reductive amination to introduce an ethoxycarbonylmethyl group on to the secondary nitrogen of the product and selective alkylation to introduce a benzyl group with complete diastereoselectivity.

Ring-expansion of methyl 2-bromomethyl-5-oxiranylpent-2-enoate (7) with various acids was studied; treatment with Lewis acids (TiBr4, MgBr2 and ZnBr2) afforded the tetrahydrofuran derivative 4-Br as a major product, while reaction with silver salt (AgNO3/KPF6), which is known to have a high halide affinity, gave preferentially the tetrahydropyran 3-ONO2 derivatives as the major products.

The reaction between β-substituted methylidenemalononitriles and the ylide from (-)-8-phenylmenthyl α-pyridiniumacetate, which affords activated cyclopropanes bearing two cyano groups and one carboxylic ester group, was examined. The trans isomer was obtained in up to 91:9 diastereoselectivity under optimized solvent conditions for the t-butyl substituted substrate. The selectivity increased to 96:4 upon using 4-methoxypyridine in the place of pyridine, whereas selectivities were generally lower for N,N-diethylnicotinamide. The major 4-pyridyl substituted cyclopropane was determined to be trans-1R by X-Ray structural analysis.

Selectivity of alkylation of and that of deuteration of methyl groups attached to the pyrimidine ring of tetraazathiapentalenes are discussed.

In order to construct the tetrahydropyran ring of rhopaloic acid A and hippospongic acid A, the ring-expansion of methyl 2-bromomethyl-6,7-epoxyhept-2-enoate with various acids was studied; treatment of the bromo oxirane with Lewis acids (TiBr 4 , MgBr 2 and ZnBr 2 ) afforded a tetrahydrofuran derivative as the major product, while reaction of the oxirane with silver salt (AgNO 3 /KPF 6 ) gave a tetrahydropyran derivative as the major product.

The Darzens condensation of symmetric and unsymmetric ketones with (–)-8-phenylmenthyl α-chloroacetate diastereoselectively affords glycidic esters in 77–94% de; the stereochemistry [(2R,3R) configuration] of the product is understandable in terms of π–π interaction in the open transition state model.

The Julia-Colonna asymmetric epoxidation reaction of substituted benzalacetophenone afforded the corresponding epoxide with high yield and high enantioselectivity, catalyzed by the specified length of poly-L-leucine (chain length n > 15). Poly-L-leucine catalysts have been prepared by the polymerization reaction of L-leucine-NCA with initiators (BnONa, n-BuNH 2 , H 2 O) and characterized by the MALDI-TOF Mass and IR analysis.

The hydrophobic side chain of scyphostatin was synthesized by a convergent synthetic pathway. The key reactions were the enzymatic asymmetric acetylation of a meso-diol, construction of the C12′–C13′ trisubstituted E-olefin moiety by Negishi coupling, and construction of the (2′E,4′E ,E,6′E)-triene moiety by Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons olefination.

An analogue of the hydrophilic moiety of scyphostatin was synthesized via π-facial selective Diels-Alder reaction of a 2,5-cyclohexadien-1-one bearing a spirolactone with cyclopentadiene.

The Diels-Alder reactions of cross-conjugated ketones bearing an oxa-spiro-ring with some simple sterically undemanding dienes (cyclopentadiene, 2,3-cyclohexadiene, 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene) afforded the adduct with high π-facial selectivity under mild conditions. The π-facial selectivity can be explained in terms of Cieplak model.

Analogues of hippospongic acid A, which inhibit the gastrulation of sea urchin embryos, were synthesized. From a study on structure—activity relationships, the conjugated carboxylic acid moiety was found to be an essential feature for biological activity.

The stereoselective synthesis of rac- and ent-rhopaloic acid A 1 has been accomplished, via successive homologation of (2E,6E)-farnesol 2 and cyclization to form a tetrahydropyran ring, together with final introduction of an α-methylene group; the asymmetric synthesis was achieved via an Evans’ asymmetric alkylation using (S)-4-benzyloxazolidin-2-one as a chiral auxiliary; the synthetic rhopaloic acid A, with a predicted absolute configuration of (2S,5R), had a specific rotation of opposite sign to that of the natural product, and therefore the configuration of natural rhopaloic acid A should be assigned as (2R,5S).

The selective monochlorination of 5-[2-(N-silyl-amino)vinyl] isothia- zoles (1a,b) and their related compounds (1c,d, 2a-g, 3a-c, and 4a,b) with N-chlorosuccinimide is described. Chlorination of (1a,b) occurred at vinyl carbon to give (5a,b) and the geometry was determined to be Z-isomer according to spectral data. It is noteworthy that (1d) smoothly occurred bond switch at room temperature but (5)d did not ring-trans- form under the same conditions