The fused 2-vinyl or 2-phenyl substituted cyclobutanones 4 undergo stereoselective ring openings by the action of alkoxide ions (t-BuO(-) or MeO(-)) to produce novel vicinally disubstituted cycloalkene derivatives 5 and 6 in moderate to high yields. The ring cleavage usually occurs with complete regioselectivity. The accessibility of γ,δ-unsaturated ester or acid derivatives makes this transfor...

The copper-catalyzed conjugate addition-cycloacylation reaction of zinc homoenolatee with acetylenic esters or acetylenic amides is described. The zinc homoenolate is prepared from [ (ethoxycyclopropy1)oxyltrimethylsilane and zinc chloride in ether. Addition of an acetylenic amide or ester provides 2-carboxamidoor 2-carboalkoxy-3-alkylcyclopent-2-en-l-ones ingood to excellent yields. The reacti...

New antibiotics phoslactomycins A, B, C, D, E and F, which contain alpha, beta-unsaturated delta-lactone, phosphate ester, conjugated diene and cyclohexane ring moieties, were isolated from the culture broth of a soil isolate actinomycete. Morphological, cultural and physiological studies revealed that the isolate is a strain of Streptomyces nigrescens. Phoslactomycins were obtained by butanol ...

Mn(III)-based oxidative free-radical cyclization of an unsaturated beta-keto ester containing a pyridine ring as radical trap has been studied. This intramolecular reaction of nucleophilic carbon-centered radicals with the pyridine ring leads to the stereospecific construction of a tetracyclic compound in which five chiral centers are created in one pot. This synthetic approach represents the f...

The α-pyrone moiety is a structural feature found in a huge variety of biologically active metabolites. In recent times new insights into additional biosynthetic mechanisms, yielding in such six-membered unsaturated ester ring residues have been obtained. The purpose of this mini-review is to give a brief overview of α-pyrones and the mechanisms forming the basis of their natural synthesis. Esp...

The synthesis of racemic 1,2-dioleoyl and 1 -oleoyl-2-stearoyl glycerol-3-phosphoryl serine was achieved by the phosphorylation of unsaturated diglycerides with phosphorus oxychloride, and combination with the phthalimidomethyl ester of carbo-t-butoxy-DL-serine. The synthetic phosphatidyl serines were tested in blood clotting systems in vitro. They have activity qualitatively similar to that of...

Several microorganisms produce small quantities of polyunsaturated hydrocarbons and such natural products are of interest. Starting from the ethyl ester of eicosapentaenoic acid, the total synthesis of the natural product (all-Z)-hentriaconta-3,6,9,12,15,19,22,25,28-nonaene has been achieved in eight steps and 15% overall yield. The synthesis is based on a stereoselective Wittig reaction and co...

The first total synthesis of gelsemoxonine (1) has been accomplished. Divinylcyclopropane-cycloheptadiene rearrangement of the highly functionalized substrate was successfully applied to assemble the spiro-quaternary carbon center connected to the bicyclic seven-membered core structure. A one-pot isomerization reaction of the α,β-unsaturated aldehyde to the saturated ester via the TMSCN-DBU rea...

The impact of a remote aromatic nucleus on the stereochemical outcome of the conjugate addition of alpha-sulfonylallylic carbanions to an alpha,beta-unsaturated ester was investigated. alpha-Regioselectivity coupled with anti-diastereoselectivity is accompanied by a prominent preference for relative configuration 3 over 4. The 9-anthryl moiety has shown itself greatly superior over all other gr...