Nitroacrylates are stable, crystalline solids and have frequently been used in synthesis as reactive dienophiles in the Diels-Alder reaction. The regio- and diastereoselectivity of the Diels-Alder reaction is controlled by the electronic properties of the nitro group. This thesis describes work to utilise the nitro group to provide control of stereochemistry in the synthesis of natural products. The thesis begins by discussing the synthesis of nitroacrylates using both a nitro-aldol and radical based route. An investigation into their selectivity in the Diels-Alder reaction with a diverse array of dienes is discussed. As part of this investigation a large increase in diastereoselectivity was observed for the reaction of ethyl β-nitroacrylate and 1-methoxycyclohexa-1,4-diene when Lewis acids were added. The origin of this selectivity is unknown and similar dienes show only a modest increase in selectivity on addition of ZnCl(_2).An application of the resultant adducts has been demonstrated in the synthesis of a simple bicyclic P-amino acid and then subsequendy applied to the diastereoselective synthesis of chorismate-based P-amino acids (25*, 3S*)-DHAA and the antibiotic oryzoxymycin. The key steps involve a base-mediated ring-opening reaction of the 7-oxa-bicyclo[2,2,l]hept-5-ene and a CsF mediated coupling of the lactate moiety. The progress toward the synthesis of a related anthranilate synthase inhibitor is also discussed. Finally, in the context of a synthesis of the structurally unique diterpene Vinigrol 1 we have shown that nitroacrylates can be employed as substituted ketene equivalents in the formation of cyclic alpha-chiral ketones.

The products of organic synthesis affect countless aspects of our everyday lives, from our medicines to our fuels, plastics and more. The discovery of new methods for organic synthesis is of paramount importance if we are to find greener and more efficient ways to synthesize commodity and fine chemicals, and lower the impact of the chemical industry on our environment. The aim of my doctoral thesis is to discover fundamentally new enantioselective transformations using transition metal catalysis, which can be applied to the synthesis of pharmaceutical agents, natural products or other fine chemicals. Hydroacylation is the atom economical addition of an aldehyde C–H bond across an unsaturated functional group such as an olefin or ketone. Theoretical studies on an intramolecular ketone hydroacylation catalyzed by rhodium were performed. The insights gained from this mechanistic study were then applied to the development of an asymmetric olefin hydroacylation using ethers, sulfides and sulfoxides as directing groups. Motivated by a desire to discover new catalysts with high activity and selectivity in rhodium catalyzed transformations, a chiral tridentate sulfoxide ligand was designed and synthesized. This ligand was found to be highly enantioselective in rhodium catalyzed 1,4-addition reactions. The use of allylic sulfoxides in a dynamic kinetic resolution was then investigated. The sulfoxide was found to direct a rhodium catalyzed olefin hydrogenation with simultaneous substrate racemization through a rhodium π-allyl pathway. Progress was made towards the total synthesis of a complex polyketide natural product, 6-deoxyerythronolide B. The key macrocyclization step was achieved in a model system by ring closing metathesis, and future work will be directed at completing the synthesis of the natural product.

The products of organic synthesis affect countless aspects of our everyday lives, from our medicines to our fuels, plastics and more. The discovery of new methods for organic synthesis is of paramount importance if we are to find greener and more efficient ways to synthesize commodity and fine chemicals, and lower the impact of the chemical industry on our environment. The aim of my doctoral thesis is to discover fundamentally new enantioselective transformations using transition metal catalysis, which can be applied to the synthesis of pharmaceutical agents, natural products or other fine chemicals. Hydroacylation is the atom economical addition of an aldehyde C–H bond across an unsaturated functional group such as an olefin or ketone. Theoretical studies on an intramolecular ketone hydroacylation catalyzed by rhodium were performed. The insights gained from this mechanistic study were then applied to the development of an asymmetric olefin hydroacylation using ethers, sulfides and sulfoxides as directing groups. Motivated by a desire to discover new catalysts with high activity and selectivity in rhodium catalyzed transformations, a chiral tridentate sulfoxide ligand was designed and synthesized. This ligand was found to be highly enantioselective in rhodium catalyzed 1,4-addition reactions. The use of allylic sulfoxides in a dynamic kinetic resolution was then investigated. The sulfoxide was found to direct a rhodium catalyzed olefin hydrogenation with simultaneous substrate racemization through a rhodium π-allyl pathway. Progress was made towards the total synthesis of a complex polyketide natural product, 6-deoxyerythronolide B. The key macrocyclization step was achieved in a model system by ring closing metathesis, and future work will be directed at completing the synthesis of the natural product.

The field of metal-catalyzed C–H bond functionalizations is an incredibly vibrant and spans beyond the formations of biaryl motifs. The introduction chapter will cover the mechanistic aspects of the C–H bond functionalization with metal-carboxylate complexes. The mechanistic facets of this reaction will be the main conducting line between the different sections and chapters of the first part of this thesis. In the second chapter, will be described additives that can readily promoted C–H bond arylation of poorly reactive substrates. More specifically, we will revisit the intramolecular direct arylation reaction we will demonstrate the effect of pivalic acid as a co-catalyst by developing milder reaction conditions. In the third chapter we be described experimental and computational studies which suggested that the a single pathway might be involved in the palladium-catalyzed C–H bond functionalization of a wide range of (hetero)arene. Following this we will describe a general set of conditions for the direct arylation of wide range of heteroarenes. Also, we will present two different strategies to selectively and predictably arylate substrates containing multiple functionalizable C–H bonds. In the fourth chapter will be presented our efforts toward the development of new C–H bond functionalization methods in which we could apply our knowledge on the C–H bond cleavage and apply it to the formation of new scaffolds. The development of two new palladium-catalyzed methods were also described. In the fifth chapter, our effort toward the development of ligands to specifically promoted C–H bond cleavage will be presented. In the sixth chapter will be presented the latest results on the study of the mechanism of the C–H bond cleavage combining experimental and computational studies. In part B of this thesis will be presented our strategy toward the total synthesis of ginkgolide C that included two gold(I)-catalyzed reactions as key steps in the preparation of the spiro[4.4]nonane core of this natural product. The first studies on the feasibility of the key steps of the synthesis will be described.

This thesis describes synthetic studies directed towards the total synthesis of the natural products TEO3.1, hamigerone and embellistatin. Chapter One provides an overview, which details the role of antifungal natural products in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries, and describes the association between total synthesis and natural products. Three structurally related natural products TEO3.1, hamigerone and embellistatin are introduced as synthetic targets and a strategy for their synthesis is proposed involving an intramolecular Diels-Alder (IMDA) reaction, followed by addition-elimination chemistry. Investigations into the application of the IMDA reaction to the synthesis of the bicyclic core are described in Chapter Two. A Julia olefination reaction was used to install the diene moiety and allowed for the successful synthesis of a model triene precursor. The IMDA cyclisation of the triene was shown to proceed with high endo-selectivity. However, efforts to generate the diene-containing bicyclic core failed and, as a result, this approach to the natural products was abandoned. Chapter Three introduces the diene-regenerative Diels-Alder reaction as an alternative strategy for the direct installation of the diene moiety. The preparation of a model system is described, which established methodology for the efficient preparation of the pyrone-containing Diels-Alder substrate. Cyclisation of this material via a [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction, followed by extrusion of carbon dioxide, proved a viable method for generating the desired cyclohexadiene system. In Chapter Four, the previously established methodology is applied to the synthesis of the fully functionalised bicyclic core of TEO3.1, hamigerone and embellistatin. The preparation of the racemic Diels-Alder substrate and its successful cyclisation to the bicyclic core is described. An investigation into the preparation of chiral material is also discussed, as well as the description of a model study for the installation of the various side-chains of the natural products. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of the future studies required to complete the total synthesis of the TEO3.1, hamigerone and embellistatin.

Perophoramidine 1 is a halogenated natural product which contains two contiguous quaternary centres within its structure. In this thesis, approaches towards the synthesis of perophoramidine are described. In particular, the synthesis of the tetracyclic core structure and the formation of the quaternary centres have been examined. In Chapter 1, the natural product perophoramidine 1 is introduced and its isolation, structure and biological activity is discussed. The structurally related communesin family of natural products are also introduced before the literature published on both the biosynthesis and laboratory synthesis of perophoramidine 1, is reviewed. Finally the Westwood group's approach towards the synthesis of perophoramidine 1 is introduced with a summary of non-halogenated model system investigations previously carried out within the group being provided. Chapter 2 describes studies towards the synthesis of an appropriately halogenated indolo[2,3-b]quinoline core structure of perophoramidine 1. This then allowed methodology previously developed within the group on model system substrates to be applied to the formation of the first of the two quaternary centres required for the synthesis of perophoramidine 1. Chapter 3 describes the attempted formation of the second quaternary centre using an ester alkylation approach. After initial studies failed to generate the desired quaternary centre, non-halogenated model system studies were carried out in an attempt to develop an alternative approach. In Chapter 4, model system studies were continued with cyclic ether compounds investigated as potential intermediates towards the synthesis of perophoramidine 1. The results obtained in this chapter provided a novel route to the formation of the second quaternary centre and led to a redesigned approach towards perophoramidine 1 being developed. In Chapter 5, this redesigned approach was applied to the halogenated intermediates synthesised in Chapter 1. This led to the formation of the first halogenated intermediate synthesised within the group which contained the two contiguous quaternary centres required for the synthesis of perophoramidine 1.

The field of metal-catalyzed C–H bond functionalizations is an incredibly vibrant and spans beyond the formations of biaryl motifs. The introduction chapter will cover the mechanistic aspects of the C–H bond functionalization with metal-carboxylate complexes. The mechanistic facets of this reaction will be the main conducting line between the different sections and chapters of the first part of this thesis. In the second chapter, will be described additives that can readily promoted C–H bond arylation of poorly reactive substrates. More specifically, we will revisit the intramolecular direct arylation reaction we will demonstrate the effect of pivalic acid as a co-catalyst by developing milder reaction conditions. In the third chapter we be described experimental and computational studies which suggested that the a single pathway might be involved in the palladium-catalyzed C–H bond functionalization of a wide range of (hetero)arene. Following this we will describe a general set of conditions for the direct arylation of wide range of heteroarenes. Also, we will present two different strategies to selectively and predictably arylate substrates containing multiple functionalizable C–H bonds. In the fourth chapter will be presented our efforts toward the development of new C–H bond functionalization methods in which we could apply our knowledge on the C–H bond cleavage and apply it to the formation of new scaffolds. The development of two new palladium-catalyzed methods were also described. In the fifth chapter, our effort toward the development of ligands to specifically promoted C–H bond cleavage will be presented. In the sixth chapter will be presented the latest results on the study of the mechanism of the C–H bond cleavage combining experimental and computational studies. In part B of this thesis will be presented our strategy toward the total synthesis of ginkgolide C that included two gold(I)-catalyzed reactions as key steps in the preparation of the spiro[4.4]nonane core of this natural product. The first studies on the feasibility of the key steps of the synthesis will be described.

Thesis advisor: Amir H. Hoveyda / Chapter One: Stereoretentive Cross-Metathesis of Trisubstituted Olefins The development of stereoretentive olefin metathesis catalysts has solved a long-standing problem in the field, allowing for trisubstituted alkenes to be synthesized in high stereochemical purity and under kinetic control. E- as well as Z-isomers of trisubstituted alkenyl halides, nitriles, and allylic alcohols can be accessed through cross-metathesis of commercially available and easily accessible alkenes. Through the use of the same strategy, macrocyclic trisubstituted alkenes have been accessed in either isomeric form through stereoretentive ring-closing metathesis of the corresponding diene starting materials. Thus, for the first time, a wide range of E- and Z-trisubstituted alkenes can be obtained selectively through olefin metathesis, regardless of the underlying thermodynamic preferences. Chapter Two: Development of Catalytic Stereoretentive Cross-Metathesis of Trisubstituted Alkenyl Bromides We have introduced a general and widely applicable strategy for the synthesis of E- and Z-trisubstituted alkenyl bromides through cross-metathesis. The reaction is applicable to terminal, disubstituted, and trisubstituted olefins bearing a variety of functional groups including alkenes with α-, or β-branches. The requisite stereodefined cross-partners, E- and Z-2-bromo-2-butene are commercially available and can be synthesized with ease in one step from abundant starting materials. This represents a notable improvement over our previous approach, where the non-halogenated alkene starting material had to be prepared through cross-coupling in high stereochemical purity to ensure high stereoretention in the subsequent cross-metathesis. Catalysts derived from Mo monoaryloxide pyrrolide complexes, some of which are commercially available, are optimal for this transformation. The applicability of the approach is underscored through the formal synthesis of phomactin A with improved overall yield and step count. Chapter Three: Total Synthesis of Ambrein We have completed a total synthesis of ambrein, a terpenoid isolated from whale secretion, a much sought perfume ingredient. The approach involved joining two fragments through formation of the central trisubstituted alkene. Our route entailed a sequence of cross-metathesis of alkenyl bromides and cross-coupling, providing access to a previously difficult-to-access trisubstituted olefin with high efficiency and selectivity. One fragment was generated from a readily accessible enantiomerically enriched compound, sclareolide, and the other from inexpensive methylcyclohexenone. The stereogenic center of the latter was established through a NHC-Cu-catalyzed enantioselective allylic substitution, which was followed by differentiation of these alkenes through site-selective epoxidation. The total synthesis is more efficient and offers a more practical route to ambrein. Chapter Four: Stereoretentive Cross-Metathesis of Trisubstituted α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds We have developed a strategy for the synthesis of Z- and E-Trisubstituted α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds through stereoretentive CM involving commercially available or easily accessible alkene substrates. The method is applicable to a variety of α,β-unsaturated esters, thioesters, and acyl fluorides. Furthermore, mono-, di-, and trisubstituted alkenes can be used as starting materials. Transformations may be carried out on gram scale and, in some cases, with commercially available Mo catalysts. The utility of the catalytic approach was highlighted through synthesis of previously accessed intermediates more directly and with improved efficiency. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Chemistry.

No description available.

The work presented in this thesis mainly describes the discovery and development of methodology for the synthesis of anthecularin and anthecotulides, a family of unusual sesquiterpene lactones. Firstly, two 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition approaches toward anthecularin have been evaluated, using either oxidopyrylium ylide chemistry (Path A) or carbonyl ylides, generated by rhodium-catalysed decomposition of diazo ketones (Path B). Synthesis of the key precursor for the diazo strategy was achieved but unfortunately no desired cycloadduct was isolated. Secondly, an experimentally straightforward method to stereoselectively synthesise β-hydroxymethyl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactones was developed using chromium or zinc. The synthetic utility of this methodology was demonstrated in syntheses of (±)-methylenolactocin, (±)-hydroxymatairesinol and, ultimately, (±)-hydroxyanthecotulide using a gold-catalysed Meyer-Schuster rearrangement. Finally, the first asymmetric synthesis of (+)-anthecotulide has been achieved, in 6 steps from commercially available materials. During this synthesis the absolute configuration was established. Furthermore, a novel rhodium-catalysed enantioselective ene-yne cycloisomerisation was used to form the α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone core.