A Diels-Alder cycloaddition approach to the sweroside aglycone intermediate of iridoids was explored using silylated butenolides and levoglucosenone as dienophiles under both Lewis acid and thermal conditions. Results of this study reveal no evidence that using less sterically demanding derivatives compromise the diastereofacial selectivity of the cycloaddition using silylated butenolides. Furt...

Detailed analysis of calculated data from an experimental/computational study of intramolecular furan Diels-Alder reactions has led to the unusual discovery that the mean contraction of the newly forming C-C σ-bonds from the transition state to the product shows a linear correlation with both reaction Gibbs free energies and reverse energy barriers. There is evidence for a similar correlation i...

Monomers allowing for the introduction of [2,5-dimethylfuran]-protected maleimides into polyamides such as peptides, peptide nucleic acids, and peptoids were prepared, as well as the corresponding oligomers. Suitable maleimide deprotection conditions were established in each case. The stability of the adducts generated by Michael-type maleimide-thiol reaction and Diels-Alder cycloaddition to ma...

The first total synthesis of the cytotoxic marine macrolide enigmazole A has been completed in 22 steps (longest linear sequence). The sensitive, densely functionalized 2,4-disubstituted oxazole fragment was constructed using an efficient Negishi-type coupling of an oxazol-2-ylzinc reagent formed directly from the parent ethyl 2-iodooxazole-4-carboxylate by zinc insertion. Other key steps inclu...

An unprecedented catalytic asymmetric ring-opening of easily accessible 2,3-heterosubstituted norbornenes with hard alkyl metals (R-M), is able to give a practical regioand stereoselective access to hetero-functionalized alkyl cyclopentenes in an enantioenriched form. The copper-catalyzed desymmetrization reaction with trialkylaluminums of sterically hindered and rigid, trior tetracyclic Diels–...

N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysis has emerged as a powerful tool for synthesis. Among its involvement in several cycloaddition-type reactions for the construction of lactams and lactones, which are abundant in biologically active molecules and broadly used as synthons for complex molecules, NHC catalysis through formal [3+3] or [4+2] strategies is noteworthy. In particular, [4+2] cycloaddi...