The main subject of this thesis is synthesis of chiral diene systems via Ring Closing Enyne Metathesis (RCEM). Furan and thiophene carbaldehydes were chosen as starting compounds. As a result of allylation and propargylation reaction of these aldehydes targeting racemic heteroaryl substituted homoallylic and homopropargylic alcohols were synthesized. Enantiomerically enriched alcohols were obtained by enzymatic resolution method with different enzymes (PS-II, Lipozyme) with the high enantiomeric excess values. Absolute configurations of all alcohols are known. O-allylation and O-propargylation reactions of enantiomerically pure alcohols, afforded feasible enyne units for RCEM were synthesized successfully. All RCEM reactions were performed by using Grubbs&amp / #8223 / 1st generation catalyst. The absolute configuration of all chiral diene systems were known since during the course of the all reactions, configurations were preserved. As a last step, Diels-Alder reactions were applied to some of these chiral diene systems to get bicyclic compounds and comment on the stereoselectivity. Only one diastereomeric cycloadduct was observed as a result of Diels-Alder applications.

Le phénomène d'oxygénation tardive des produits naturels a été investigué sur deux modèles d'études : les chalasines polycycliques et les diterpènes résiniques. Pour les chalasines, les cibles de synthèse envisagées étaient la trichoderone A et la trichodermone, deux chalasines d'origine fongique isolées récemment du champignon endophyte Trichoderma gamsii. En plus de leurs structures fascinantes, ces chalasines ont montré une inhibition modérée contre la lignée cellulaire tumorale humaine HeLa. Les études rétrosynthétiques de la trichoderone A et de la trichodermone, basées sur les hypothèses de biosynthèse des PKS-NRPS, ont dévoilé la possibilité d'un précurseur biomimétique commun par l'intermédiaire d'oxygénations bio-inspirées fréquentes in vivo. Ces travaux de thèse décrivent la synthèse totale de ce précurseur biosynthétique à travers le développement d'une nouvelle méthodologie de métathèse d'ényne cyclisante, suivie d'un réarrangement [3,3] d'Ireland-Claisen. La construction du squelette polycyclique repose sur une stratégie de Diels-Alder intramoléculaire, accédant ainsi au précurseur desiré. Des résultats préliminaires encourageants d'oxygénation bio-inspirées sont également décrits, en vue de l'accès vers les chalasines naturelles trichoderone A et trichodermone. Concernant les acides résiniques, une nouvelle méthodologie de photooxygénation bioinspirée a été développée. A l'aide d'un montage simple et efficace, des réactions de photooxygénations couplées à des réarrangements de Hock et de Kornblum-DeLaMare ont permis la formation de produits naturels ainsi que des molécules originales montrant des des activités antibactériennes prometteuses. / The late-stage oxygenation of natural products has been investigated on two studies templates: the polycyclic chalasans, the main topic of this thesis, and onto resinic diterpenes. Concerning the polycyclic chalasans, the envisaged synthetic targets were trichoderone A and trichodermone, two fungal secondary metabolites recently isolated from the endophytic fungus Trichoderma gamsii. In addition to their fascinating structures, these chalasans showed a moderate inhibition against human tumor HeLa cell line, which makes them very attractive for total synthesis. Based on the biosynthesis of PKS-NRPS compounds, the retrosynthetic studies of trichoderone A and trichodermone suggested the possibility of a common biomimetic precursor through bioinspired oxygenations frequently occurring in vivo. This thesis developed the total synthesis of this biomimetic precursor including the development of a new ring-closing enyne metathesis methodology, followed by a [3,3] Ireland-Claisen rearrangement. The construction of the polycyclic skeleton is based on an intramolecular Diels-Alder strategy, affording the desired precursor. Encouraging preliminary results have also been described towards the access to the natural chalasans trichoderone A and trichodermone, which have never been synthesized so far. On the subject of resinic diterpenes, a new bioinspired photooxygenation methodology has been developed. Thanks to a simple and efficient experimental set-up, photooxygenation reactions coupled with Hock and Kornblum-DeLaMare rearrangements allowed the formation of already isolated natural products, as well as novel molecules exhibiting promising antibacterial activities.

La thapsigargine, lactone sesquiterpénique de type guaïanolide d’origine naturelle, est un puissant inhibiteur des enzymes ubiquitaires SERCAs (Sarco-Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-ATPases) et est actuellement en phase clinique pour le traitement du cancer de la prostate non-hormono dépendant. Au cours de cette thèse, nous avons développé une nouvelle approche pour la synthèse de cette molécule, suffisamment flexible pour permettre de préparer des analogues ayant un bon degré de diversité structurale. Cette voie met en jeu une métathèse cyclisante d’ényne pour former le squelette bicyclique [5-7] de cette molécule. La préparation du précurseur de métathèse a nécessité le développement de deux voies différentes. La première utilise le ditertbutylacétylène dicarboxylate comme matière de départ et met en jeu un procédé original Michael-Wittig en un pot. Malgré une étude approfondie de cette étape ayant permis d’optimiser les conditions opérationnelles avec un rendement de 65%, cette voie s’est finalement avérée non applicable pour la synthèse envisagée ceci en raison d’un manque de chimiosélectivité au niveau d’une étape décisive. Une deuxième voie a donc été développée. Elle utilise la 2-méthylcyclopentane-1,3-dione comme produit de départ et offre le précurseur de métathèse en série racémique en 10 étapes et un rendement de 8%. Les quatre centres stéréogènes C1, C3, C10 et C6 sont mis en place grâce à des réactions diastéréosélectives (d.r ≥ 80%). La dernière étape de cette voie est une réaction d’alkynylation d’un aldéhyde conjugué avec piégeage in-situ de l’alcool secondaire obtenu. La configuration relative du centre C-6 de ce précurseur de métathèse s’est avéré par la suite épimère de celui de la thapsigargine (nOe mesurés après RCEYM). Des essais de métathèse cyclisante ont ensuite été réalisés sur l’ényne obtenue dans différentes conditions incluant l’utilisation de catalyseurs originaux fournis par le Pr. Marc Mauduit (université de Rennes). Ces réactions se sont montrées concluantes, fournissant le squelette bicyclique [5,7] de la thapsigargine avec de bons rendements (de 61 à 89%).A la suite de cette étape, un ensemble de réactions a été réalisé afin de mettre en place les groupements fonctionnels nécessaires à la transformation de la plateforme bicyclique obtenue en thapsigargine. De nombreuses difficultés ont été rencontrées : les tentatives d’épimérisation du centre C-6, d'époxydation de l'adduit de cyclisation ou encore de formation de -lactone se sont révélées infructueuses ou ont conduit à des résultats inattendus. L’idée d’exploiter la présence du centre stéréogène C-6 de configuration non naturelle pour installer le centre C-8 crucial pour l’activité biologique de la thapsigargine, via un réarrangement sigmatropique [1,3] de type suprafacial catalysé à l’or (catalyseur de Nolan), a été également testée. De manière inattendue, le produit de réarrangement est obtenu avec inversion faciale, indiquant le passage probable par un cation allylique.Ainsi, au cours de ce travail, deux composés bicycliques [5,7] oxygénées en C8, précurseurs raisonnables de la thapsigargine et analogues, ont été synthétisés par deux voies qui diffèrent au niveau du réarrangement final des produits de cyclisation hydroxylés en C6obtenu après métathèse cyclisante. A partir de de la 2-méthylcyclopentan-1,3-dione commerciale l’un est obtenu en 13 étapes avec 3% de rendement et l’autre en 12 étapes avec 5% de rendement. L’ensemble des essais de réactions effectuées sur les adduits de métathèse permettent de mieux cerner leur réactivité. / Thapsigargin, a guaianolide sesquiterpene lactone of natural origin is a potent inhibitor of ubiquitous SERCA enzymes (Sarco-Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-ATPase) and is currently in clinical trial phase 1 for the treatment of non-hormono dependent prostate cancer. In this work a new approach for the synthesis of thapsigargin has been developed, flexible enough to allow the elaboration of analogues with a high degree of structural diversity. The strategy developed involves an enyne metathesis cyclization reaction (RCEYM) to form the bicyclic [5,7] scaffold of these molecules. For the synthesis of the required precursor of RCEYM, two successive routes have been explored. The first one uses tert-butylacetylene dicarboxylate as starting material and involves a one-pot Michael-intramolecular Wittig reaction. Conditions have been found to allow an efficient synthesis of trisubstituted cyclopentenones. Unfortunately this route has proved difficult to use for the programmed synthesis because of the lack of chemoselectivity at a decisive strategic level. A second approach was developed starting from commercial 2-methyl-cyclopentane-1,3-dione, providing the required racemic precursor of the metathesis reaction in 10 steps and 8% yield. The four C1, C3, C6 and C10 stereogenic centers are set up through diastereoselective reactions (dr ≥ 80%). The final step of the synthesis of this precursor involves an alkynylation reaction of an aldehyde combined with in-situ trapping of the secondary alcohol obtained. The relative configuration of center C6 was shown to be the inverse of that of thapsigargin. Metathesis cyclization assays were then carried out on this intermediate enyne under different conditions, including the use of original catalysts provided by Prof. Marc Mauduit (University of Rennes). These reactions provided the expected [5,7] bicyclic core of thapsigargin with good yields (61 to 89%). In the third part of the thesis, a set of reactions have been attempted to put in place the necessary functional groups for the achievement of the synthesis of thapsigargin. Many difficulties were encountered: attempted epimerization of the C6 center, epoxidation of the RCEYM cyclization adduct or attempts to form a  -lactone either were unsuccessful or led to unexpected results. The idea of using the presence of the stereogenic center of unnatural configuration at C6 to install the hydroxyl group at C8, crucial for the biological activity of thapsigargin, via a gold-catalyzed (Nolan catalyst) suprafacial sigmatropic [1,3] rearrangement was experimented. Unexpectedly, the rearranged acetate adduct was obtained with facial inversion, indicating a probable allyl cation intermediate. Thus, in this work, two [5,7] bicyclic oxygenated compounds at C8 have been synthesized from commercial 2-methylcyclopentane-1,3-dione through two pathways that differ in the conditions leading to the final rearrangement of the cyclic C6-hydroxylated RCEYM adducts. One of them is obtained in 13 steps with 3% yield and the second in 12 steps with 5% yield. Both compounds appear to be suitable intermediates for the syntesis of thapsigargin and its analogues. All tests performed on the adducts, obtained after RCEYM, helps us to identify their reactivity.

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.