Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-116). Also available in print.

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2005. / Advisor: Dr. Marie E. Krafft, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 19, 2005). Document formatted into pages; contains 147 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Honors Project--Smith College, Northampton, Mass., 2010. / Includes bibliographical references.

Esta tese consiste do estudo de reações de ciclofuncionalização de compostos β-enamino carbonílicos e β-dicarbonílicos, contendo uma cadeia alquenílica nas posições α ou γ. Os eletrófilos empregados para este fim foram: iodo, brometo de fenilselenenila e tricloreto de p-metóxifeniltelurio. Os iodo-β-enamino ésteres e cetonas cíclicas, após desidroiodação mediada por base, levaram à formação dos correspondentes pirróis, indóis e aminobenzofuranos. A ciclização dos β-ceto ésteres e β-dicetonas levou a enol éteres e benzofuranos funcionalizados. Estes resultados, juntamente com outros obtidos em nosso grupo de pesquisa, foram utilizados em um estudo comparativo entre reagentes de iodo, selênio e telúrio frente a reações de ciclização eletrofílica de substratos β-dicarbonílicos. / This thesis presents a study of the cyclofunctionalization of β-enamino carbonyl and β-dicarbonyl compounds, substituted by an alkenyl group at the α or γ positions. Iodine, phenyl-selenenyl bromide and p-methoxyphenyltellurium trichloride were employed as the electrophilic reagent. The cyclic iodo-β-enamino esters and ketones, after base-promoted dehydroiodination, led to the corresponding pyrroles, indoles and aminobenzofurans. The cyclization of the β-keto esters and β-diketones afforded five- and six-membered enol ethers and benzofuranones. These results, together with others previously obtained in our research group, allowed us to compare the behavior of the three above mentioned electrophiles toward the cyclofunctionalization of β-dicarbonyl substrates.

Uma série de β-enamino ésteres foi submetida a reações de iodociclização ou lactonização mediada por iodo, fornecendo como produtos iodo-β-enamino ésteres cíclicos ou β-enamino lactonas, respectivamente. Os iodo-β-enamino ésteres cíclicos obtidos foram submetidos a reações de desidroiodação, fornecendo os correspondentes produtos de eliminação de HI a partir de iodociclos de cinco membros, e ciclopentanos trissubstituídos, a partir de anéis de seis membros. Esta última reação ocorreu por substituição nucleofílica intramolecular, em vez da esperada reação de desidroiodação. O efeito do N-substituinte, nestas reações, foi estudado para uma série de N-alquil e N-aril derivados, fornecendo dados que possibilitaram uma melhor compreensão dos mecanismos envolvidos. As β-enamino lactonas foram obtidas em baixos rendimentos, devido à formação de subprodutos decorrentes da poliiodação do substrato, e mostraram-se resistentes à redução da dupla ligação carbono-carbono por uma série de métodos testados. Um estudo de análise conformacional dos compostos bicíclicos nitrogenados também foi efetuado, através de dados espectroscópicos de RMN-1H e RMN-13C, com o auxílio de cálculos de mecânica molecular e semi-empíricos. Concluiu-se que em função do N-substituinte os biciclos adotam diferentes conformações preferenciais, o que altera significativamente seus perfis espectroscópicos. / A series of acyclic β-enamino esters was submitted to iodocyclization reactions or to iodine-mediated lactonization, leading to the corresponding cyclic iodo-β-enamino esters or β-enamino lactones. Dehydroiodination of the five-membered ring enamino esters furnished pyrrole, tetrahydroindole and hexahydroindole derivatives, under basic or neutral conditions. The six-membered ring enamino esters, when submitled to treatment with triethylamine, gave rise to trisubstituted cyclopentanes. This transformation occurred through an intramolecular nucleophilic substitution, instead of the expected dehydroiodination reaction. The effect of the N-substituent in these reactions was studied for a series for N-alkyl and N-aryl derivatives. The β-enamino lactones were obtained in poor yields, due to the poliiodination of the substrates, and showed to be resistent to reduction of the carbon-carbon double bond under several conditions. A study of conformational analysis of the bicyclic β-enamino esters was undertaken, using 1H-NMR and13C-NMR data, molecular mechanics and semi-empirical methods. From this study, it was observed that the bicyclic compounds adopt different conformations depending upon the N-substituent.

The synthetic studies include the synthesis of the cyclic siloxydiyne, 3,3,5,5,8,8,10,10-octamethyl-4,9-dioxa-3,5,8,10-tetrasilacyclodeca-1,6- diyne [VI] and its novel iron carbonyl complex. In the preparation of [VI] by HBr promoted condensation of bis (methoxydimethylsilyl) acetylene, a minor product, a cyclic trimer was always formed along with the major product [VI]. No evidence of an equilibrium between the trimerization product and the dimerization product was found. Compound [VI] can react with iron carbonyl reagents to produce a novel binuclear iron complex of trimethylenemethane [VII] in very low yield either in a thermal or photo-reaction. The key step proposed by us in the formation of [VII] is a I,2-silyl shift in a complexed bis (silyl) acetylene to form a vinylidene intermediate. Experiments aimed at isolating this intermediate were not successful.

A novel crown ether precursor was developed in which a rigid 4-oxahexacyclo (5.4.1.26.3,10.05,9.08,11) dodecyl cage moiety ("cage functionality") was incorporated.

A novel acid-catalyzed self-condensation reaction of 6-diketones in the presence of 2,2,2-trifluorodiazoethane (TFD) has been discovered. This reaction is of interest because not many methods are available for the preparation of cyclized products (e.g., aromatic natural products) from 6-dicarbonyl units. Acid-catalyzed reactions of 1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione and several substituted derivatives of 1- phenyl-1,3-butanedione with TFD afforded two groups of substituted biphenyl compounds. One of these groups could be an important synthon for the preparation of larger polycyclic aromatic compounds. Several cyclized products have also been obtained from the reaction of 2, 4-pentanedione with TFD. Two potential mechanisms have been suggested to describe this cyclization process. Mechanistic studies utilizing dienophiles suggest that the previously described cyclized products have originated from Michael addition reactions. Several NMR techniques have been utilized to characterize the reaction products which were obtained in this study. These techniques include ¹³C labeling, the ¹³C NMR INADEQUATE pulse experiment, and applications of lanthanide shift reagents. The results that were obtained from the lanthanide shift reagent studies illustrate that certain oxygen atoms can be converted to 2, 2, 2-trifluoroethyl ethers to prevent complexation with lanthanide shift reagents. This methodology was successfully utilized to simplify the interpretation of lanthanide shift reagent results that were obtained from polyfunctional molecules. The reactions of several additional β-diketones have also been studied to better understand the cyclization process. / Ph. D.

Tetrahydrofuran (THF) and tetrahydropyran (THP) rings are commonly found in a wide range of natural products and biologically active compounds. In total synthesis, the formation of THF/THP motifs is often the key step but existing methods often involve numerous steps and low overall efficiencies. Part one of this thesis details the development of a practical method for the synthesis of THF rings by the controlled mono-addition/cyclisation of organolithium species to C2-symmetric diepoxides (Scheme A-1). This method can also be applied to the synthesis of bis-THF rings from triepoxides and has potential applications in more complex cascade reactions. A similar cyclisation process providing THF rings from epoxyaldehydes is also described. Part two of this thesis details our efforts towards the synthesis of the marine macrolide neopeltolide. Wright and co-workers reported the isolation of neopeltolide 211 from a deep-water sponge of the family neopeltidae off the north coast of Jamaica. The structure, which was assigned by NMR and HRMS studies and reassigned by total synthesis, contains a 14-membered macrolactone, a 2,6-cis THP ring and an unsaturated oxazole side-chain. Chapter four describes the synthesis of the C2-C8 and C9-C16 fragments (Scheme A-2). Chapter five details our initial attempts in the coupling of subunits 268 and 320, as well as a revised synthetic strategy that allowed us to successfully couple C2-C9 alkyne 347 with C10-C16 aldehyde 348 and the preparation of an advanced intermediate 364 (Scheme A-3).

Spiro-γ-lactones are widely distributed among natural products, several of them being well known by their interesting biological activities. We describe herein the synthesis of 1-oxaspiro[4.4]nonan derivatives and (+-)-andirolactone starting from easily available Diels-Alder adducts of 5-methylene-2(5H)-furanome 1 and classical dianes / La química de les espiro-γ-lactones ha despertat un considerable interès principalment degut a què moltes molècules que posseeixen aquesta estructura presenten diverses i significatives activitats biològiques. En aquesta tesi doctoral, prenent com a precursors els adductes de Diels-Alder, s’han investigat noves rutes sintètiques cap a 2(3H)-dihidrofuanones 5.5-disubstituïdes i oxaspiro[4.4]nonans polifuncionalitzats. Es presenten dues noves síntesis de (+-)-andirolactona 2, sesquiterpenoid amb estructura d’espiro-γ-butirolactona, recentment aïllat del Cedrus Libanotica i interessant per les seves propietats medicinals i biològiques potencials