The first project in this dissertation describes the use of microwave-promoted iminyl radical fragmentations to form functionalized nitriles. Nitrogen-centered radical chemistry is a useful tool to construct valuable C-N bonds commonly found in pharmaceuticals and biologically active molecules. Classically, these reactions require the use of toxic initiators and propagators. Iminyl radical chemistry has been gaining momentum as a means of avoiding these harsh conditions. This project utilizes the fragmentation of cyclic iminyl radicals via irradiation of O-phenyl oxime ethers to produce a synthetically useful nitrile tethered to an alkyl radical in the absence of metal catalysts and redox chemistry. The efficacy of this synthetic method was demonstrated by the diverse functionalization of estrone. We believe this useful chemistry can be a powerful tool when applied to both early and late-stage synthetic endeavors. The latter half of this dissertation focuses on the total synthesis of yaku'amide A, a natural product isolated from a marine sponge. This peptide contains potent anticancer activity and exhibits a novel, unique mode of action. Due to its scarcity in nature, comprehensive biological studies have remained elusive. The structure of yaku'amide A contains complex, unsymmetrical bulky dehydroamino acids such as E- and Z- dehydroisoleucine which pose a synthetic challenge. Despite the efficient strategy developed in our lab, the synthesis remains lengthy. Simpler symmetrical dehydroamino acids dehydrovaline and dehydroethylnorvaline were substituted in place to prepare two analogues of yaku'amide A that closely resemble the conformation of the natural peptide. Activity profile of the simplified analogues showed comparable potency to that of yaku'amide A.

<p>Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (THAM) was a readily-available and economical amino-triol that was viewed as having a large untapped potential as a starting material. The full chemoselective functionalization and differentiation of the amino group and the three primary alcohol residues present in THAM was extensively investigated. The development of this methodology allowed for the rapid assembly of a differentiated core that lead to existing and new potential drug scaffolds.</p> <p>The discovery of a novel oxidative fragmentation and rearrangement process was made leading to the synthesis of differentiated oxazolidinone rings. This process allowed for the creation of novel chemical library situated around THAM-based oxazolidinones, as well as THAM-based 1,3-dioxanes.</p> <p>THAM was also used as a starting material for sphingosine analogs, including sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) and anticancer S1K inhibitors. Selective functionalization of the amine and one alcohol within an oxazolidinone ring allowed access to a new family of Linezolid-type oxazolidinones as well. Additionally, various triazole-based compounds were prepared, which allowed access to a new family of potential antifungal agents based on the lead compound Fluconazole.</p> <p>A total synthesis of the immunosuppressant molecule FTY720 was also reported, employing double Wittig-olefination protocol, from THAM. This synthesis avoided certain pitfalls that were present in previously documented literature methods. Along the pathway to FTY720, many intermediates and analogs were synthesized and tested for biological activity alongside the novel oxazolidinone compounds, resulting in interesting lead compounds for various biological applications. A UV-active FTY720 scaffold was also synthesized for potential future <em>in vivo</em> tracking of the immunosuppressant and its metabolites.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This thesis describes synthetic studies directed towards the total synthesis of the nakafuran and florlide marine natural products. Chapter One provides an overview of the importance of natural products to current medicinal chemistry and describes how the "supply issue" associated with these biologically derived compounds can be resolved through the process of total synthesis. Two families of marine natural products, the nakafurans and the florlides, are introduced as synthetic targets and strategies utilising a type II intramolecular Diels-Alder (IMDA) reaction to achieve their total synthesis are delineated. The efficient preparation of regio- and stereodefined vinyl coupling fragments via hydrostannylation and hydrohalogenation methodology is described in Chapter Two. The palladium-catalysed cross-coupling of these fragments, via Stille or Negishi coupling methodology, yielded dienes which were successfully advanced to IMDA triene precursors. Chapter Three describes investigation of the type II IMDA reaction to give bicyclo[4.3.1]decene carbocyclic skeletons. A facile acid-catalysed 6,7-alkene to 7,8-alkene olefinic isomerisation, via a proposed oxonium intermediate, and the inability to appropriately functionalise the desired adducts impeded progress along the synthetic route. Molecular modelling was conducted to investigate the causes of this unexpected reactivity. Investigations in Chapter Four describe the successful synthesis and cyclisation of homomethyl triene analogues prepared via application of enyne metathesis chemistry. The use of an exo-cyclopropylcarbinyl fragmentation was found to be unsuccessful as a means of installing the desired 6-methyl-bicyclo[4.3.1]decan-2-one core with a competing endo-ring expansion giving rise to a bicyclo[4.4.1]undecane ring system. Chapter 5 summarises the above results and gives a brief discussion of the future potential of this research to provide for a total synthesis of the nakafuran and florlide natural products.

This thesis describes synthetic studies directed towards the total synthesis of the nakafuran and florlide marine natural products. Chapter One provides an overview of the importance of natural products to current medicinal chemistry and describes how the "supply issue" associated with these biologically derived compounds can be resolved through the process of total synthesis. Two families of marine natural products, the nakafurans and the florlides, are introduced as synthetic targets and strategies utilising a type II intramolecular Diels-Alder (IMDA) reaction to achieve their total synthesis are delineated. The efficient preparation of regio- and stereodefined vinyl coupling fragments via hydrostannylation and hydrohalogenation methodology is described in Chapter Two. The palladium-catalysed cross-coupling of these fragments, via Stille or Negishi coupling methodology, yielded dienes which were successfully advanced to IMDA triene precursors. Chapter Three describes investigation of the type II IMDA reaction to give bicyclo[4.3.1]decene carbocyclic skeletons. A facile acid-catalysed 6,7-alkene to 7,8-alkene olefinic isomerisation, via a proposed oxonium intermediate, and the inability to appropriately functionalise the desired adducts impeded progress along the synthetic route. Molecular modelling was conducted to investigate the causes of this unexpected reactivity. Investigations in Chapter Four describe the successful synthesis and cyclisation of homomethyl triene analogues prepared via application of enyne metathesis chemistry. The use of an exo-cyclopropylcarbinyl fragmentation was found to be unsuccessful as a means of installing the desired 6-methyl-bicyclo[4.3.1]decan-2-one core with a competing endo-ring expansion giving rise to a bicyclo[4.4.1]undecane ring system. Chapter 5 summarises the above results and gives a brief discussion of the future potential of this research to provide for a total synthesis of the nakafuran and florlide natural products.