The advent of well-defined catalysts for olefin metathesis which combine high activity, durability, and excellent tolerance towards polar functional groups has revolutionized the field. The past decade has seen the rapid embrace of these reagents as tools for advanced organic and polymer chemistry and the success of this development is witnessed by a plethora of elegant applications to the synthesis of natural and nonnatural products. This review article provides an overview of these developments and intends to familiarize the reader with some very recent advances which hold the promise to expand the scope of the reaction even further. Moreover, the positive impact of metathesis on the fundamental logic of retrosynthetic planning is demonstrated by means of typical examples. Finally, it will be shown that metathesis is by no means restricted to alkenes as substrates, and some comments on metathesis reactions following unconventional mechanistic pathways will also be presented.

Olefin Metathesis and Beyond

Synthesis of oxygen- and nitrogen-containing heterocycles by ring-closing metathesis.

With the exception of palladium-catalyzed cross-couplings, no other group of reactions has had such a profound impact on the formation of carbon-carbon bonds and the art of total synthesis in the last quarter of a century than the metathesis reactions of olefins, enynes, and alkynes. Herein, we highlight a number of selected examples of total syntheses in which such processes played a crucial role and which imparted to these endeavors certain elements of novelty, elegance, and efficiency. Judging from their short but impressive history, the influence of these reactions in chemical synthesis is destined to increase.

Metathesis Reactions in Total Synthesis

Readily available biphenyl derivatives containing an alkyne unit at one of their ortho-positions are converted into substituted phenanthrenes on exposure to catalytic amounts of either PtCl2, AuCl, AuCl3, GaCl3 or InCl3 in toluene. This 6-endo-dig cyclization likely proceeds through initial pi-complexation of the alkyne unit followed by interception of the resulting eta2-metal species by the adjacent arene ring. The reaction is inherently modular, allowing for substantial structural variations and for the incorporation of substituents at any site of the phenanthrene product. Moreover, it is readily extended to the heterocyclic series as exemplified by the preparation of benzoindoles, benzocarbazoles, naphthothiophenes, as well as bridgehead nitrogen heterocycles such as pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinolines. Depending on the chosen catalyst, biaryls bearing halo-alkyne units can either be converted into the corresponding 10-halo-phenanthrenes or into the isomeric 9-halo-phenanthrenes; in the latter case, the concomitant 1,2-halide shift is best explained by assuming a metal vinylidene species as the reactive intermediate. The scope of this novel method for the preparation of polycyclic arenes is illustrated by the total synthesis of a series of polyoxygenated phenanthrenes that are close relatives of the anticancer agent combretastatin A-4, as well as by the total synthesis of the aporphine alkaloid O-methyl-dehydroisopiline and its naturally occurring symmetrical dimer.

Synthesis of Phenanthrenes and Polycyclic Heteroarenes by Transition‐Metal Catalyzed Cycloisomerization Reactions

The construction of macrocycles by ring-closing metathesis (RCM) is often used as the key step in the synthesis of natural products containing large rings. This reaction is attractive because of its high functional group compatibility and the possibility for further transformations. The finding of suitable reaction conditions is critical for the success of the synthesis. In this Minireview we summarize the efforts of many research groups to develop efficient RCM reactions on their way towards the total synthesis of natural macrocyclic products. Their findings should help in future synthesis to reduce the time-consuming phase of the optimization of the reaction conditions.

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/anie.200690171

Macrocyclization by Ring‐Closing Metathesis in the Total Synthesis of Natural Products: Reaction Conditions and Limitations

The first total synthesis of the cyclic prodigiosin derivative 4 is described, which constitutes a potential lead compound for the development of immunosuppressive agents. The key steps of this app...

Total Synthesis and Structural Refinement of the Cyclic Tripyrrole Pigment Nonylprodigiosin

The first total synthesis of a major component of the microbial biosurfactant sophorolipid has been achieved This approach to the 26-membered macrolide 1 containing a Z-configured alkene group in its lipidic tether spanning the sophorose backbone is based on a ring-closing metathesis reaction of diyne 21 catalyzed by Mo[N(t-Bu)(Ar)]3 (5; Ar = 3,5-dimethylphenyl) activated in situ by CH2Cl2, followed by Lindlar reduction of the resulting cycloalkyne 22 The two β-glycosidic linkages of compound 21 were installed by means of the glucal epoxide method and a modified Koenigs−Knorr reaction promoted by AgOTf/lutidine, respectively

Ring-closing alkyne metathesis. Application to the total synthesis of sophorolipid lactone.

Nonylprodigiosin (4) and various of its analogues have been prepared by Suzuki cross-coupling reactions of a well accessible pyrrolyl triflate with (hetero)aryl boronic acid derivatives bearing alkenyl side chains. The resulting alkenes or dienes were subjected to metathesis dimerization or ring-closing metathesis (RCM) reactions, respectively, by using a ruthenium indenylidene complex as the catalyst. The biological activity of the products thus obtained was tested in two different assays monitoring i) the proliferation of murine spleen cells induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and concanavalin A (Con A), and ii) the vacuolar acidification of baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells. Compounds 4 and 21 suppressed Con A-induced T-cell proliferation much more potently than LPS-induced B-cell proliferation. Furthermore, compounds 4 and 26 markedly inhibited vacuolar acidification, although other compounds exhibited no or only marginal effects. Thus, the immunosuppressive activity of prodigiosins toward T-cell proliferation seems to be mediated through cellular targets distinct from vacuolar acidification, and the prodigiosin analogues might be powerful tools to dissect these biological responses. The X-ray crystal structure of the macrocyclic product 25 has been determined, showing that the replacement of one pyrrole ring of the parent compound 4 by a phenyl group does not alter the overall electronic features of the remaining heterocyclic ring system of these alkaloids.

/pdf/synthesis-and-biological-evaluation-of-nonylprodigiosin-and-1is90hd8h1.pdf

Jaroslaw Grabowski

Papers

Total Synthesis and Structural Refinement of the Cyclic Tripyrrole Pigment Nonylprodigiosin

Ring-closing alkyne metathesis. Application to the total synthesis of sophorolipid lactone.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Nonylprodigiosin and Macrocyclic Prodigiosin Analogues

Total Synthesis and Structural Refinement of the Cyclic Tripyrrole Pigment Nonylprodigiosin.