Higher carbon chain sugars have gained increased interest recently; they are important building blocks of natural and unnatural products with biological properties. The synthesis of these higher sugar skeletons is commonly known to be achieved with the Wittig methodology which exploits phosphorus ylide chemistry. This method has been successfully used for the synthesis of the higher carbon sugars. The aim of this project was to synthesise ß,ß'-dioxo sugar-derived phosphorus ylides, a new class of ylides, as versatile intermediates to valuable higher carbon sugar derivatives and carbohydrate mimics. Model reactions were initially conducted; tetrahydro-2-furoic acid and tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-carboxylic acid, compounds which are structurally similar to the precursor sugars, were identified as suitable model compounds. These compounds were converted to acyl chlorides and then converted to ß,ß'-dioxo phosphorus ylides precursors by acylation. The methodology proved successful and 8 examples were isolated. However, low yields were obtained due to the inevitable formation of triphenylphosphine oxide. The method was then extended to sugar derivatives, prepared using standard protecting group chemistry. It was found that acylation could be achieved using the simple acyl chloride route or peptide coupling methodology for sugar derivatives which were acid sensitive. ß,ß'-dioxo sugar-derived phosphorus ylides (16 examples) were successfully isolated in low yields. The oxidation and thermal reactivity of the ß,ß'-dioxo ylides were studied. Oxidation resulted in the successful synthesis of vicinal tricarbonyls, isolated as a mixture with the gem-diols (hydrates). The thermal decomposition of the ylides gave alkynes in moderate yields.

A series of compounds were prepared by condensing 2,3-dimethyl-4,9-dioxo-1-(2-propyl)-naphth[2,3-d] imidazolium iodide with various aromatic aldehydes.

Higher carbon chain sugars have gained increased interest recently; they are important building blocks of natural and unnatural products with biological properties. The synthesis of these higher sugar skeletons is commonly known to be achieved with the Wittig methodology which exploits phosphorus ylide chemistry. This method has been successfully used for the synthesis of the higher carbon sugars. The aim of this project was to synthesise ß,ß'-dioxo sugar-derived phosphorus ylides, a new class of ylides, as versatile intermediates to valuable higher carbon sugar derivatives and carbohydrate mimics. Model reactions were initially conducted; tetrahydro-2-furoic acid and tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-carboxylic acid, compounds which are structurally similar to the precursor sugars, were identified as suitable model compounds. These compounds were converted to acyl chlorides and then converted to ß,ß'-dioxo phosphorus ylides precursors by acylation. The methodology proved successful and 8 examples were isolated. However, low yields were obtained due to the inevitable formation of triphenylphosphine oxide. The method was then extended to sugar derivatives, prepared using standard protecting group chemistry. It was found that acylation could be achieved using the simple acyl chloride route or peptide coupling methodology for sugar derivatives which were acid sensitive. ß,ß'-dioxo sugar-derived phosphorus ylides (16 examples) were successfully isolated in low yields. The oxidation and thermal reactivity of the ß,ß'-dioxo ylides were studied. Oxidation resulted in the successful synthesis of vicinal tricarbonyls, isolated as a mixture with the gem-diols (hydrates). The thermal decomposition of the ylides gave alkynes in moderate yields.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Neste trabalho investigou-se o potencial biocatalÃtico do fungo Rhizopus stolonifer um fungo fitopatogÃnico em biotransformaÃÃes de metabÃlitos secundÃrios naturais Dois desses metabolitos, o diterpeno 3,12-dioxo-15,16-epoxi-4-hidroxicleroda-13(16),14-dieno e o derivado fenÃlico 6-gingerol foram biotransformados e seus respectivos produtos isolados e quantificados por CLAE A elucidaÃÃo estrutural dos produtos de biotransformaÃÃo pelo fungo Rhizopus stolonifer foram realizadas por anÃlise dos espectros de RMN 1H RMN 13C RMN 13C-DEPT 135 IV e EM Identificou-se que os produtos obtidos eram provenientes de uma biorreduÃÃo revelando o potencial deste fungo na reduÃÃo quimio e regiosseletivas de grupos carbonilas nÃo conjugados Realizou-se o estudo cinÃtico dos produtos de biorreduÃÃo por CLAE e ensaios citotoxicidade frente Ãs linhagens tumorais humanas OVCAR-8 (ovÃrio) SF-295 (glioblastoma) e HCT-8 (cÃlon) O produto biorreduzido 6-gingerdiol apresentou os melhores percentuais de inibiÃÃo do crescimento celular: 91,83; 70,90 e 78,56 respectivamente / In this work the biocatalytic potential of the fungus Rhizopus stolonifer a phytopathogenic fungus in biotransformations of natural secondary metabolites was investigated Two of these metabolites the diterpene 3,12-dioxo-15,16-epoxy-4-hydroxycleroda-13(16),14-diene and the phenolic derivative 6-gingerol was biotransformed and their products was isolated and quantified by HPLC The structural determination of biotransformation products was obtained by analysis of 1H NMR 13C NMR 13C-NMR DEPT 135 IV and MS spectrum The products were obtained by a biorreduction process revealing the potential of this fungus in selective reduction of unconjugated carbonyl groups The products from bioreduction were submitted to antitumor assay against human tumor cell lines OVCAR-8 (ovarian) SF-295 (glioblastoma) and HCT-8 (colon) The biotransformation product 6-gingerdiol showed the highest percentage of inhibition of cell growth: 91,83; 70,90 e 78,56, respectively