Decytospolides A and B are natural products isolated from Cytospora sp. No ZW02 that show mild anticancer properties. The interest in synthesizing these compound lies not in their activities, but rather the simplicity of the structure which could easily be modified to provide more potent derivatives. Previous syntheses of these compounds relied on transition metals to install the tetrahydropyran core or extensive use of protecting groups. Our first generation synthesis made use of the Achmatowicz rearrangement to synthesize the tetrahydropyran moiety. Based on this, a concise, protecting group free synthesis has been accomplished utilizing the Achmatowicz rearrangement of an optically active furanyl alcohol followed by diastereoselective Kishi reduction of the resulting dihydropyranone hemiacetal. <br><br>Carambolaflavone A is a natural product isolated from A. carambola with antidiabetic properties. Notably, these compound promote both insulin secretion and glucose uptake by muscle cells in hyperglycemic rats. A previous synthesis has been reported by Wang and coworkers, however this synthesis does not offer much potential for the formation of derivatives and relies on a C-glycosylation that requires heating for regio- and diastereoselectivity. Progress towards a concise synthesis has been made featuring a Lewis acid promoted highly diastereoselective substrate controlled C-glycosylation that does not require heating and a one pot oxidation of chroman to chromone utilizing DDQ. Further research is underway to complete the synthesis of this molecule by an oxidative addition to the chromone and subsequent removal of protecting groups.

Les hétérocycles sont des motifs présents dans un grand nombre de produits naturels et synthétiques possédant une activité biologique. Le développement de méthodes pour construire ces motifs constitue un axe de recherche important et de nombreuses voies de synthèse ont été et sont encore aujourd'hui étudiées. Au cours de ces travaux de thèse, plusieurs méthodologies ont été développées permettant l'accès à de nouveaux hétérocycles: Une première étude sur l'hydrogénation des indoles et sur l'influence de leur substitution a été réalisée. Ces travaux ont permis de mettre au point une méthode simple et efficace pour obtenir des indoles partiellement ou totalement saturés. Dans un second temps la mise au point de conditions sans solvant et sans métal pour la réaction de cyclisation de Prins a conduit à l'isolation de tetrahydropyranes et à leur utilisation de manière séquentielle avec la réaction de Bartoli. Ces conditions se sont également avérées très efficaces pour la formation de sultames. Enfin, une approche synthétique vers les decytospolides A et B a été réalisée en utilisant comme réaction clé la réaction de cyclisation de Prins / The heterocyclic skeleton is present in many natural and synthetic products with biological activity. The development of methods to build these patterns is an important area of research and many synthetic routes have been and are still being studied. During this work, several methods have been developed allowing access to new heterocyclic compounds: first the hydrogenation of indoles and the influence of their substitution was realised. This work allowed to develop a simple, selective and efficient method to obtain partially or fully saturated indoles. Next the development of neat and metal-free conditions for the Prins cyclization reaction gave tetrahydropyrans and was sequentially used with the Bartoli reaction. These conditions have also proved to be very efficient for sultam synthesis. Finally, a synthetic approach to decytospolides A and B was performed using the Prins cyclization reaction as key step