Unified Total Syntheses of Rhamnofolane, Tigliane, and Daphnane Diterpenoids

J Am Chem Soc. 2021 Aug 11;143(31):12387-12396. doi: 10.1021/jacs.1c06450. Epub 2021 Jul 28.

Abstract

Rhamnofolane, tigliane, and daphnane diterpenoids are structurally complex natural products with multiple oxygen functionalities, making them synthetically challenging. While these diterpenoids share a 5/7/6-trans-fused ring system (ABC-ring), the three-carbon substitutions at the C13- and C14-positions on the C-ring and appending oxygen functional groups differ among them, accounting for the disparate biological activities of these natural products. Here, we developed a new, unified strategy for expeditious total syntheses of five representative members of these three families, crotophorbolone (1), langduin A (2), prostratin (3), resiniferatoxin (4), and tinyatoxin (5). Retrosynthetically, 1-5 were simplified into their common ABC-ring 6 by detaching the three-carbon units and the oxygen-appended groups. Intermediate 6 with six stereocenters was assembled from four achiral fragments in 12 steps by integrating three powerful transformations, as follows: (i) asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction to induce formation of the C-ring; (ii) π-allyl Stille coupling reaction to set the trisubstituted E-olefin of the B-ring; and (iii) Eu(fod)3-promoted 7-endo cyclization of the B-ring via the generation of a bridgehead radical. Then 6 was diversified into 1-5 by selective installation of the different functional groups. Attachment of the C14-β-isopropenyl and isopropyl groups led to 1 and 2, respectively, while oxidative acetoxylation and C13,14-β-dimethylcyclopropane formation gave rise to 3. Finally, formation of an α-oriented caged orthoester by C13-stereochemical inversion and esterification with two different homovanillic acids delivered 4 and 5 with a C13-β-isopropenyl group. This unified synthetic route to 1-5 required only 16-20 total steps, demonstrating the exceptional efficiency of the present strategy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't