Polycyclic Polyprenylated Acylphloroglucinols (PPAPs) are a vast family of natural products, which includes more than 200 members. They contain a stunningly complex molecular architecture which in most cases includes a bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane core. PPAPs have been of interest to the scientific community for their intricate structure, their powerful aid in treating many ailments and large portfolio of biological activities. More particularly, they have been of synthetic interest since 1999 with the first report of an approach to these complicated cores by Nicolaou. Herein, we present the first total synthesis of papuaforin A, papuaforin B, papuaforin C, hyperforin and the formal synthesis of nemorosone following a report by Simpkins and co-workers. We relied on a gold(I)-catalyzed carbocyclization for the construction of the core of this family of natural products. Ginkgolides are isolated from the ginko tree, Ginkgo biloba, a living fossil with records of its existence dating back 280 million years. For centuries, the plant and its extracts have been used extensively for their beneficial properties, especially in China, Japan and India. For example, extract Egb761, one of the most potent fraction, generates over $500 million a year alone. The ginkgolides possess a truly unique compact diterpene framework of six 5-membered rings with a high content oxygen. Eleven oxygens can be found in ginkgolide C for a core containing only 23 carbons. The ginkgolides also include a very unique feature: a tert-butyl group located on the most convoluted ring system: the B ring. Few groups have found success in limning a synthetic route to ginkgolides. Corey’s group was the first to achieve the total synthesis of ginkgolide B in 1987. He was also able to complete ginkgolide A a year later. Crimmins and co-workers also achieved the total synthesis of ginkgolide B a decade later in 1999. Herein, we present our new approach toward ginkgolides through a newly developed methodology for the α-allylation of ketones and the creation of highly hindered contiguous quaternary centers. The synthesis is still at an early stage but a synthetic pathway giving access to the ring B with all the key moieties has been extensively investigated.

An efficient approach to the hydrobenzofuro[3,2-b]chromenone core of sanggenon-type natural products has been developed. The key transformation involves a protecting group-free double rearrangement of a bis-allyloxyflavone ether substrate. A sequence involving asymmetric 3-allyl rearrangement followed by aromatic Claisen rearrangement has been established for the asymmetric synthesis of the hydrobenzofuro[3,2-b]chromenone core structure. This methodology has been successfully applied to asymmetric syntheses of both sanggenol F and sanggenon A. Efficient chiral, racemic syntheses for sanggenons C and O have been achieved. The key transformation entails a biomimetic Diels-Alder cycloaddition between a flavonoid diene and a 2'-hydroxychalcone. The flavonoid diene was produced from a protected flavonoid chromene via isomerization. Metal-catalyzed alkynyl Claisen (Saucy-Marbet) rearrangements of 3-alkynyl flavone ethers have been evaluated, and a 1,2-acyl migration cascade which afforded novel furanyl benzofuranone scaffolds was discovered. Mechanistic studies have revealed that the rearrangement is likely initiated by 5-endo enyne cyclization to a platinum-containing spiro-oxocarbenium intermediate, which may be intercepted by methanol to produce a spirodihydrofuran or further rearranged to afford allenyl chromanediones and benzofuranones at higher reaction temperature. Lewis acid-catalyzed [1,3]-rearrangements of 3-aryl substituted flavone ethers have also been developed.

Die Nitron-Cycloaddition an ein dearomatisiertes Phenol ermöglichte den leichten Aufbau des Phenanthrengerüstes von Codein in der gewünschten Konfiguration. Weitere Schritte führten mit kompletter Diastereoselektivität zu Allopseudocodein und nach Allylverschiebung durch Hydrolyse der Chlorcodide schließlich zu (±)-Codein.

Among Nature's creation, terpenoids are more versatile and exciting natural products. In a remarkable display of synthetic ingenuity and creativity, nature has endowed terpenes with a bewildering array of carbocyclic frameworks with unusual assemblage of rings and functionalities. This phenomenal structural diversity of terpenes makes them ideal targets for developing and testing new synthetic strategies for efficient articulation of carbocyclic frameworks. The thesis entitled “Synthetic Approaches to Herbertenoid and Cuperenoid Sesquiterpenes" describes the application of ring-closing metathesis and Claisen rearrangement based approach to some herbertenoid and cuparenoid natural products. The results are described in five different sections, viz., a) First Total Synthesis of (±)-γ-Herbertenol; b) First Total Synthesis of (±)-HM-2; c) First Total Synthesis of (±)-HM-4 and HM-3; d) First Total Synthesis of Herbertenones A and B; and e) Total Synthesis of Lagopodin A. Complete details of the experimental procedures and the spectroscopic data were provided in a different section. A brief introduction is provided wherever appropriate to keep the present work in proper perspective. The compounds are sequentially numbered (bold), references are marked sequentially as superscripts and listed in the last section of the thesis. All the spectra included in the thesis were obtained by xeroxing the original NMR spectra. To begin with, the first total synthesis of γ-herbertenol, an herbertene isolated from a non-herbertus source, has been accomplished starting from 3,5-dimethylphenol. Claisen rearrangement of 3-(3-methoxy-5-methylphenyl)but-2-en-1-ol, obtained in eight steps from 3,5-dimethylphenol, furnished a γ,δ-unsaturated ester, which was transformed into 4-aryl-4,5,5-trimethylcyclopent-2-enone employing RCM reaction as the key step, which was further transformed into (±)-γ-herbertenol, which exhibited spectral data identical to that of the natural product. An alternative RCM reaction based methodology was also developed for the synthesis of γ-herbertenol methyl ether starting from ethyl 3-aryl-3-methylpent-4-enoate, an intermediate in the first sequence. The methodology has been extended for the synthesis of the putative structure of HM-2 starting from 2,4-dimethoxy-5-methylacetophenone via the corresponding ethyl 3-aryl-3-methylpent-4-enoate. However, the spectral data of the synthetic compound was found to be different from that reported for the natural product. A new cuperenoid structure for HM-2 was proposed. Total synthesis of cuparene-1,4-diol starting from toluhydroquinone, followed by its conversion to mono methyl ether and mono acetyl derivative confirmed the structures of HM-1 and the revised structure of HM-2. In a similar manner, total synthesis of the putative structure of HM-3 starting from 4-methylresorcinol dimethyl ether proved it to be wrong. A cupereniod structure, HM-4 monoacetate was proposed for HM-3. Synthesis of HM-4, and its conversion to mono acetate confirmed the structures of HM-4 and the revised structure of HM-3. The methodology has been further extended to the first total synthesis of herbertenones A and B starting from 2,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde. By readily identifying the similarity between lagopodin A and HM-1 and HM-2, an intermediate in the synthesis of HM-1 and HM-2 has been further transformed in to (±)lagopodin A.

Among Nature's creation, terpenoids are more versatile and exciting natural products. In a remarkable display of synthetic ingenuity and creativity, nature has endowed terpenes with a bewildering array of carbocyclic frameworks with unusual assemblage of rings and functionalities. This phenomenal structural diversity of terpenes makes them ideal targets for developing and testing new synthetic strategies for efficient articulation of carbocyclic frameworks. The thesis entitled “Ireland-Claisen Rearrangement Based Strategy to Sesquiterpenes Containing Vicinal Quaternary Carbon Atoms” demonstrates the utility of the Ireland ester Claisen rearrangement and RCM reactions for the synthesis of a variety of sesquiterpenes containing vicinal quaternary carbon atoms. The results are described in five different sections, viz., (a) Synthesis of herbertene-1,13-diol and α-herbertenol; (b) Total syntheses of herbertenolide, herberteneacetal, herbertene-1,14-diol and herbertene-1,15-diol; (c) First total synthesis of the spirobenzofuran isolated from Acremonium sp. HKI 0230; (d) Total synthesis of lagopodin A; and (e) Synthesis of Laurencenone C, α- and β-chamigrenes. Complete details of the experimental procedures and the spectroscopic data were provided in a different section. A brief introduction is provided wherever appropriate to keep the present work in proper perspective. The compounds are sequentially numbered (bold), references are marked sequentially as superscripts and listed in the last section of the thesis. All the spectra included in the thesis were obtained by xeroxing the original NMR spectra. To begin with a short and efficient synthesis of herbertene-1,13-diol and α-herbertenol has been achieved starting from 2-allyl-4-methylanisole. Ireland ester Claisen rearrangement of the dimethylallyl 2-arylpent-4-enoate, obtained from p-cresol in seven steps, followed by RCM reaction of the resultant diene generated 1-aryl-1,2,2-trimethylcyclopent-3-enecarbo-xylate, which on functional group transformations provided (±)-herbertene-1,13-diol and (±)-α-herbertenol. Ireland ester Claisen rearrangement of E-3-(2-methoxy-5-methylphenyl)but-2-en-1-yl 2-methylpent-4-enoate furnished a stereoisomeric mixture of the dieneesters, which on RCM reaction generated an epimeric mixture of 2-aryl-1,2-dimethylcyclopent-3-enecarboxylates. These esters were further elaborated into (±)-herbertene-1,14-diol, (±)-herbertene-1,15-diol and (±)-herberteneacetal via epi-herbertenolide and (±)-herbertenolide. First total synthesis of a spirobenzofuran isolated from Acremonium sp. HKI 0230 has been accomplished starting from 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylphenylacetate, confirming the structure of the natural product. Ireland ester Claisen rearrangement of dimethylallyl 2-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylphenyl)pent-4-enoate followed by RCM reaction and demethylation furnished a lactone, cyclopentaspirobenzofuranone, which on further functional group transformations completed the first total synthesis of the spirobenzofuran. 1-(2,5-Dimethoxy-4-methylphenyl)-1,2-dimethylcyclopent-3-enecarboxylate, an intermediate in the synthesis of spirobenzofuran, has been further elaborated into 1-aryl-1,2,2-trimethylcyclopent-3-ene, which on functional group transformations transformed into (±)lagopodin A and (±)-enokipodins A and B. Efficient total syntheses of laurencenone C, α-chamigrene and β-chamigrenes have been accomplished employing an Ireland ester Claisen rearrangement and RCM reaction as key steps starting from the Diels-Alder adduct of isoprene and acrylic acid. Ireland ester Claisen rearrangement of dimethylallyl cyclohex-3-enecarboxylate generated methyl 1-(1',1'-dimethylallyl)cyclohex-3-enecarboxylate, which was further elaborated into 5,5,9-trimethyl-spiro[5.5]undeca-3,8-dien-1-ol employing an RCM reaction as the key step. The spirodienol on further functional group transformations generated (±)-laurencenone C, (±)-α-chamigrene and (±)-β-chamigrene.

Die Nitron-Cycloaddition an ein dearomatisiertes Phenol ermöglichte den leichten Aufbau des Phenanthrengerüstes von Codein in der gewünschten Konfiguration. Weitere Schritte führten mit kompletter Diastereoselektivität zu Allopseudocodein und nach Allylverschiebung durch Hydrolyse der Chlorcodide schließlich zu (±)-Codein.

The present dissertation covers the total synthesis of viridiofungin triesters and studies toward the total synthesis of xeniolide F. In both cases, sigmatropic rearrangements of α-allyloxy substituted α,β-unsaturated esters are employed: for the viridiofungin ester synthesis a [2,3]-Wittig rearrangement and for the xeniolide F synthesis a catalytic asymmetric Claisen rearrangement CAC. For both rearrangement reactions the historical development, main characteristic and important variations are discussed. The viridiofungin triester synthesis represents a convergent and highly flexible route toward these natural products. The [2,3]-Wittig rearrangement allowed the diastereoselective synthesis of the polar head group with two adjacent stereogenic centers. The E-configured double bond was formed by a Julia-Kocienski olefination. During the studies toward the total synthesis of xeniolide F a new, diastereoselective strategy for the generation of allyl vinyl ethers with E-configured vinyl ether double bond was established employing rhodium catalyzed OH-insertion and an E-selective Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination. Under the conditions of the catalytic asymmetric Claisen rearrangement (CAC) this highly substituted allyl vinyl ether rearranged diastero- and enantioselectively to the corresponding a-keto ester. This example clearly illustrates the high potential of the CAC as synthetic tool for natural product synthesis. / In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird die Totalsynthese von Tirestern der Viridiofungine A, A2 und A4 sowie die Synthese eines Schlüsselintermediates für die Totalsynthese von Xeniolid F dargestellt. In beiden Fällen wird ausgehend von einem α-allyloxysubstituierten α,β-ungesättigten Ester eine Umlagerungsreaktion als Schlüsselschritt eingesetzt: im Falle der Viridiofunginester eine diastereoselektive [2,3]-Wittig-Umlagerung, bei den Arbeiten zur Totalsynthese von Xeniolid F eine diastero- und enantioselektive, katalytische Claisenumlagerung. Für beide Umlagerungsreaktionen werden ausführlich die theoretischen Hintergründe sowie die historische Entwicklung und wichtige Varianten besprochen. Mit der Viridiofungintriestersynthese wird eine konvergente und bezüglich der lipophilen Seitenkette sehr flexible Syntheseroute vorgestellt. Die [2,3]-Wittig-Umlagerung konnte dabei erfolgreich für die diastereoselektive Synthese der hochsubstituierten, polaren Kopfgruppe der Viridiofunginester mit zwei benachbarten stereogenen Zentren (davon eines quartär) eingesetzt werden. Zur Bildung der E-konfigurierten Doppelbindung wurde die Julia-Kocienskie-Olefinierung ausgenutzt. Bei den Arbeiten zur Totalsynthese von Xeniolid F wurde eine neuartige Strategie zur diastereoselektiven Synthese eines Allylvinylethers mit E-konfigurierter Vinyletherdoppelbindung eingesetzt. Die Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons-Olefinierung (HWE-Olefinierung) generierte dabei E-selektiv die Vinyletherdoppelbindung. Das für die HWE-Olefinierung benötigte Phosphonat wurde durch rhodiumkatalysierte OH-Insertion aus einem Allylalkohol und einem Diazaphosphonoacetat hergestellt. Der hochsubstituierte Allylvinylether wurde unter den Bedingungen der katalytisch asymmetrischen Claisenumlagerung umgesetzt und führte mit exzellenter Diastereo- und Enantioselektivität zum entsprechenden α-Ketoester. Anhand dieses Beispiels konnte das Potential der katalytisch asymmetrischen Claisenumlagerung zum Aufbau von hochfunktionalisierten Bausteinen für die Naturstoffsynthese verdeutlicht werden.

The present dissertation covers the total synthesis of viridiofungin triesters and studies toward the total synthesis of xeniolide F. In both cases, sigmatropic rearrangements of α-allyloxy substituted α,β-unsaturated esters are employed: for the viridiofungin ester synthesis a [2,3]-Wittig rearrangement and for the xeniolide F synthesis a catalytic asymmetric Claisen rearrangement CAC. For both rearrangement reactions the historical development, main characteristic and important variations are discussed. The viridiofungin triester synthesis represents a convergent and highly flexible route toward these natural products. The [2,3]-Wittig rearrangement allowed the diastereoselective synthesis of the polar head group with two adjacent stereogenic centers. The E-configured double bond was formed by a Julia-Kocienski olefination. During the studies toward the total synthesis of xeniolide F a new, diastereoselective strategy for the generation of allyl vinyl ethers with E-configured vinyl ether double bond was established employing rhodium catalyzed OH-insertion and an E-selective Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination. Under the conditions of the catalytic asymmetric Claisen rearrangement (CAC) this highly substituted allyl vinyl ether rearranged diastero- and enantioselectively to the corresponding a-keto ester. This example clearly illustrates the high potential of the CAC as synthetic tool for natural product synthesis. / In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird die Totalsynthese von Tirestern der Viridiofungine A, A2 und A4 sowie die Synthese eines Schlüsselintermediates für die Totalsynthese von Xeniolid F dargestellt. In beiden Fällen wird ausgehend von einem α-allyloxysubstituierten α,β-ungesättigten Ester eine Umlagerungsreaktion als Schlüsselschritt eingesetzt: im Falle der Viridiofunginester eine diastereoselektive [2,3]-Wittig-Umlagerung, bei den Arbeiten zur Totalsynthese von Xeniolid F eine diastero- und enantioselektive, katalytische Claisenumlagerung. Für beide Umlagerungsreaktionen werden ausführlich die theoretischen Hintergründe sowie die historische Entwicklung und wichtige Varianten besprochen. Mit der Viridiofungintriestersynthese wird eine konvergente und bezüglich der lipophilen Seitenkette sehr flexible Syntheseroute vorgestellt. Die [2,3]-Wittig-Umlagerung konnte dabei erfolgreich für die diastereoselektive Synthese der hochsubstituierten, polaren Kopfgruppe der Viridiofunginester mit zwei benachbarten stereogenen Zentren (davon eines quartär) eingesetzt werden. Zur Bildung der E-konfigurierten Doppelbindung wurde die Julia-Kocienskie-Olefinierung ausgenutzt. Bei den Arbeiten zur Totalsynthese von Xeniolid F wurde eine neuartige Strategie zur diastereoselektiven Synthese eines Allylvinylethers mit E-konfigurierter Vinyletherdoppelbindung eingesetzt. Die Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons-Olefinierung (HWE-Olefinierung) generierte dabei E-selektiv die Vinyletherdoppelbindung. Das für die HWE-Olefinierung benötigte Phosphonat wurde durch rhodiumkatalysierte OH-Insertion aus einem Allylalkohol und einem Diazaphosphonoacetat hergestellt. Der hochsubstituierte Allylvinylether wurde unter den Bedingungen der katalytisch asymmetrischen Claisenumlagerung umgesetzt und führte mit exzellenter Diastereo- und Enantioselektivität zum entsprechenden α-Ketoester. Anhand dieses Beispiels konnte das Potential der katalytisch asymmetrischen Claisenumlagerung zum Aufbau von hochfunktionalisierten Bausteinen für die Naturstoffsynthese verdeutlicht werden.