The use of photochemical transformations is a powerful strategy that allows for the formation of a high degree of molecular complexity from relatively simple building blocks in a single step. A central feature of all light-promoted transformations is the involvement of electronically excited states, generated upon absorption of photons. This produces transient reactive intermediates and significantly alters the reactivity of a chemical compound. The input of energy provided by light thus offers a means to produce strained and unique target compounds that cannot be assembled using thermal protocols. This review aims at highlighting photochemical transformations as a tool for rapidly accessing structurally and stereochemically diverse scaffolds. Synthetic designs based on photochemical transformations have the potential to afford complex polycyclic carbon skeletons with impressive efficiency, which are of high value in total synthesis.

Photochemical Approaches to Complex Chemotypes: Applications in Natural Product Synthesis

Photochemical reactions contribute in a significant way to the existing repertoire of carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions by allowing access to exceptional molecular structures that cannot be obtained by conventional means. In this Review, the most important photochemical transformations that have been employed in natural product synthesis are presented. Selected total syntheses are discussed as examples, with particular attention given to the photochemical key step and its stereoselectivity. The structural relationship between the photochemically generated molecule and the natural product is shown, and, where necessary, the consecutive reactions in the synthesis are illustrated and classified.

Photochemical reactions as key steps in natural product synthesis

Synthesis of Polyquinane Natural Products: An Update.

Organometallic compounds with pronounced nucleophilicity such as organocopper and organolithium compounds, and powerful electrophiles, such as BF3 and AlCl3, are generally thought to be incompatible under normal, homogeneous reaction conditions. As a matter of course, it is anticipated that the two species cannot coexist and undergo transmetalation reactions. To our surprise, however, RCu and BF3 are compatible at low temperature. RCu·BF3 and related organocopper-Lewis acid reagents exhibit new and unique reactivities and selectivities: in conjugate additions, e.g., not only activation but also high regio-, stereo-, and chemo-selectivity as well as very high asymmetric induction is observed; allylic derivatives are alkylated regioselectively, and reaction towards carbonyl groups, imines, epoxides, aziridines, ethers, acetals, orthoformates, and pyridinium salts is in each case found to be selective. RLi·BF3 and related organolithium-Lewis acid reagents also exhibit noteworthy selectivities and reactivities. These complex reagents are utilized in the key steps of the total synthesis of many important natural products, such as certain terpenes, steroids, and alkaloids.

Geoffrey B. Dreyer

Papers

Synthetic studies on arene-olefin cycloadditions. 4. Total synthesis of (.+-.)-modhephene

Synthetic studies on arene-olefin cycloadditions. ii. total synthesis of (±)-isocomene

Synthetic studies on arene-olefin cycloadditions. 4. Total synthesis of (.+-.)-modhephene