Wagner-Meerwein Rearrangement Research Articles

1,2]-Rearrangement of iminium salts provides access to heterocycles with adamantane scaffold.

We describe a Brønsted acid-catalysed cascade reaction consisting of a Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement and a subsequent intra- or intermolecular Friedel-Crafts reaction leading to adamantane-based heterocycles. In contrast to the reported W.-M. rearrangements, in this case an iminium moiety serves as the acceptor of a migrating nucleophilic alkyl group in a [1,2]-alkyl shift.

Total Synthesis of Talatisamine

AbstractTalatisamine (1) is a member of the C19‐diterpenoid alkaloid family, and exhibits K+ channel inhibitory and antiarrhythmic activities. The formidable synthetic challenge that 1 presents is due to its highly oxidized and intricately fused hexacyclic 6/7/5/6/6/5‐membered‐ring structure (ABCDEF‐ring) with 12 contiguous stereocenters. Here we report an efficient synthetic route to 1 by the assembly of two structurally simple fragments, chiral 6/6‐membered AE‐ring 7 and aromatic 6‐membered D‐ring 6. AE‐ring 7 was constructed from 2‐cyclohexenone (8) through fusing an N‐ethylpiperidine ring by a double Mannich reaction. After coupling 6 with 7, an oxidative dearomatization/Diels–Alder reaction sequence generated fused pentacycle 4 b. The newly formed 6/6‐membered ring system was then stereospecifically reorganized into the 7/5‐membered BC‐ring of 3 via a Wagner–Meerwein rearrangement. Finally, Hg(OAc)2 induced an oxidative aza‐Prins cyclization of 2, thereby forging the remaining 5‐membered F‐ring. The total synthesis of 1 was thus accomplished by optimizing and orchestrating 33 transformations from 8.

Total Synthesis of Talatisamine.

Talatisamine (1) is a member of the C19 -diterpenoid alkaloid family, and exhibits K+ channel inhibitory and antiarrhythmic activities. The formidable synthetic challenge that 1 presents is due to its highly oxidized and intricately fused hexacyclic 6/7/5/6/6/5-membered-ring structure (ABCDEF-ring) with 12 contiguous stereocenters. Here we report an efficient synthetic route to 1 by the assembly of two structurally simple fragments, chiral 6/6-membered AE-ring 7 and aromatic 6-membered D-ring 6. AE-ring 7 was constructed from 2-cyclohexenone (8) through fusing an N-ethylpiperidine ring by a double Mannich reaction. After coupling 6 with 7, an oxidative dearomatization/Diels-Alder reaction sequence generated fused pentacycle 4 b. The newly formed 6/6-membered ring system was then stereospecifically reorganized into the 7/5-membered BC-ring of 3 via a Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement. Finally, Hg(OAc)2 induced an oxidative aza-Prins cyclization of 2, thereby forging the remaining 5-membered F-ring. The total synthesis of 1 was thus accomplished by optimizing and orchestrating 33 transformations from 8.

Direct α-Benzylation of Methyl Enol Ethers with Activated Benzyl Alcohols: Its Rearrangement and Access to (±)-Tetrahydronyasol, Propterol A, and 1,3-Diarylpropane.

Herein, we report a one-pot Lewis acid mediated synthesis of bi- and triarylpropanal derivatives and their corresponding isomeric ketones from aromatic enol ethers. This transformation takes place via nucleophilic attack of enol ethers to electron-rich benzyl alcohols. The substrate scope of this indicates that it might proceed via quinomethoxy methide as a key intermediate leading to propanal derivatives, and their Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement afforded isomeric ketones. Further, this methodology was applied for the synthesis of (±)-tetrahydronyasol, propterol A, and 1,3-diarylpropane.

Absolute configuration of phomactatriene diterpenoids obtained by Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement of epimeric verticillols.

The epimeric diterpenes (+)-(1S,3E,7E,11S,12S)-verticilla-3,7-dien-12-ol (1), isolated from Bursera suntui, and (+)-(1S,3E,7E,11S,12R)-verticilla-3,7-dien-12-ol (2), isolated from Bursera kerberi, gave the same Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement product (-)-(1E,4Z,8Z,11S,12R)-phomacta-1,(15)4,8-triene (3). The Et2 O:BF3 -induced transformations evidence that verticillenes and phomactanes, both containing the bicyclo[9.3.1]pentadecane skeleton, are biogenetically related through the verticillen-12-yl cation (A+ ), which also is a key intermediate in the biosynthetic pathways to generate antitumor taxanes. Molecular modeling using the Monte Carlo protocol, followed by density functional theory (DFT) geometry optimization employing the hybrid functionals B3LYP and B3PW91, both with the DGDZVP basis set, secured the configuration of 3 as followed from the good agreement between the calculated and experimental vibrational circular dichroism spectra. Similar DFT calculations allowed determining the absolute configuration of (+)-(1R,4R,5R,8S,9S,11S,12R,15R)-1,15:4,5:8,9-triepoxyphomactane (9), which surprisingly derives from epoxidation of the second minimum energy conformer of 3.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Azepine-Fused Cyclobutanes from Yne-Methylenecyclopropanes Involving Cyclopropanation/C-C Cleavage/Wagner-Meerwein Rearrangement and Reaction Mechanism.

Ring expansion of in situ generated cyclopropylmethyl cations via Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement to cyclobutanes is widely used in synthesis. However, the cyclopropylmethyl cations generated are planar, which would lead to loss of chiral information in the case of chiral precursors, making an asymmetric version of such ring expansion difficult. In the present work, a gold(I)-catalyzed asymmetric cyclopropanation/C-C cleavage/Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement of easily affordable yne-methylenecyclopropanes (1,6-yne-MCPs) has been developed to synthesize 3-azabicyclo[5.2.0]nonadiene, a bicyclic 7/4 ring (azepine fused with cyclobutane) with a bridgehead aryl substituent. This reaction overcomes the challenging loss of chirality from the Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the chirality of the final product comes from the first cyclopropanation step in this reaction. The chirality in the resultant cyclopropane is lost in the following C-C cleavage step, generating rigid, planar cyclopropylmethyl carbocation intermediate. Then, only one carbon of the cyclopropyl group in the cyclopropylmethyl carbocation intermediate can migrate via ring expansion in the Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement process, and consequently, the chirality in the cyclopropane generated in the first step is transferred to the final product.

Asymmetric Total Synthesis of Arcutinidine, Arcutinine, and Arcutine.

We have accomplished the asymmetric total synthesis of arcutinidine, arcutinine, and arcutine, three arcutine-type C20-diterpenoid alkaloids. A pentacyclic intermediate was rapidly assembled by using two Diels-Alder reactions. We developed a cascade sequence of Prins cyclization and Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement to construct the core of arcutinidine, which was then elaborated into an oxygenated pentacycle through a scalable route. Chemoselective reductive amination followed by spontaneous imine formation furnished the pyrroline motif in the final stage. We clarified the S configuration of the α-carbon of the acyl group within arcutine through chemical synthesis and crystallographic analysis.

Chiral Brønsted Acid-Catalyzed Formal α-Vinylation of Cyclopentanones for the Enantioselective Construction of Quaternary Carbon Centers

An enantioselective formal α-vinylation of ketones for the construction of an all-carbon quaternary center was established using the vinylogous Wagner–Meerwein shift through the activation of the leaving group by a chiral phosphoramide as the chiral Brønsted acid catalyst. The present reaction afforded enantioenriched all-carbon quaternary α-vinyl ketones in high yields with high enantioselectivities in most cases. Experimental elucidation of the reaction mechanism suggested that the discrimination of the two prochiral faces of the positively charged allylic species and of the enantiotopic migrating groups was efficiently achieved by the chiral phosphoramide catalyst.

Tuning Molecular Solar Thermal Properties by Modification of a Promising Norbornadiene Photoswitch

Carefully targeted modifications to the norbornadiene‐quadricyclane couple should give molecules with great potential for solar energy storage. Here we report the synthesis of derivatives of a well‐studied compound, 2‐cyano‐3‐anisyl norbornadiene (NBD5). The conjugation was extended by conversion of the nitrile into acrylonitrile and acrylate derivatives over two steps. Despite red‐shifting the absorbance properties, the metastable quadricyclanes exhibited extremely short lifetimes. Meanwhile, treatment of NBD5 with acetyl halides in the presence of aluminum trihalides led to the formation of 7‐acetyl norbornenes through a Wagner–Meerwein rearrangement. Subsequent transformations made it possible to synthesise norbornadienes with varying degrees of steric bulk at the 7‐position of the molecular scaffold. It was found that the bulkier this group was, the more stable the quadricyclane form. This reaction sequence allows for the synthesis of norbornadiene derivatives which are more suited to molecular solar thermal applications in domestic heating despite providing a slightly lower energy density.

Facile Access to Bridged Ring Systems via Point-to-Planar Chirality Transfer: Unified Synthesis of Ten Cyclocitrinols.

Bridged ring systems are found in a wide variety of biologically active molecules including pharmaceuticals and natural products. However, the development of practical methods to access such systems with precise control of the planar chirality presents considerable challenges to synthetic chemists. In the context of our work on the synthesis of cyclocitrinols, a family of steroidal natural products, we herein report the development of a point-to-planar chirality transfer strategy for preparing bridged ring systems from readily accessible fused ring systems. Inspired by the proposed pathway for biosynthesis of cyclocitrinols from ergosterol, our strategy involves a bioinspired cascade rearrangement, which enabled the gram-scale synthesis of a common intermediate in nine steps and subsequent unified synthesis of 10 cyclocitrinols in an additional one to three steps. Our work provides experimental support for the proposed biosynthetic pathway and for the possible interrelationships between members of the cyclocitrinol family. In addition to being a convenient route to 5(10→19) abeo-steroids, our strategy also offers a generalized approach to bridged ring systems via point-to-planar chirality transfer. Mechanistic investigations suggest that the key cascade rearrangement involves a regioselective ring scission of a cyclopropylcarbinyl cation rather than a direct Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement.

Retro-biosynthetic construction of corynanthe alkaloid skeletons from rhynchophylline alkaloids.

Rhynchophylline alkaloids are bio-synthesized from corynanthe alkaloids via an oxidative rearrangement. We demonstrate here that corynanthe alkaloids could be generated from rhynchophylline alkaloids in a retro-biosynthetic manner via a Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement. A series of corynanthe analogues were afforded with good functional group tolerance and satisfactory yields.

Hypatulone A, a Homoadamantane-Type Acylphloroglucinol with an Intricately Caged Core from Hypericum patulum.

Hypatulone A (1), an acylphloroglucinol possessing an unprecedented homoadamantane architecture based on a tricyclo-[4.3.1.13,8]-undecane core and a unique 5/5/7/6/6 pentacyclic ring system, together with its biogenetic precursor hyperbeanol B (2), was isolated from Hypericum patulum. The structure of 1 was elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and electronic circular dichroism calculation. Its plausible biosynthetic pathway via Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement was proposed. 1 exhibited nitric oxide inhibitory effect on LPS-induced RAW264.7 cell line (IC50 18.8 ± 1.75 μM).

Aspersecosteroids A and B, Two 11(9 → 10)- abeo-5,10-Secosteroids with a Dioxatetraheterocyclic Ring System from Aspergillus flocculosus 16D-1.

Two 11(9 → 10)- abeo-5,10-secosteroids possessing an unprecedented dioxatetraheterocyclic ring system, aspersecosteroids A (1) and B (2), and a new ergosteroid, asperflosterol (3), were isolated from the sponge-derived fungus Aspergillus flocculosus 16D-1. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis, X-ray diffraction, and computational methods. Compounds 1-3 demonstrated inhibitory effects on key pro-inflammatory cytokine production in THP-1 cells. A biogenetic pathway with oxidative cleavage, Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement, and sequential acetalization as key steps is proposed for 1 and 2.

Origin and geochemical implication of relatively high abundance of 17α (H)-diahopane in Yabulai basin, northwest China

Abstract Relatively high abundance of 17α (H)-diahopane has been detected in source rock extracts in the Yabulai Basin, a lacustrine basin in northwest China. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Field emission environment scanning electron microscope imaging (FE-ESEM) were used in combination with conventional geochemical parameters to unravel the enrichment mechanisms. Significant variations of 17α (H)-diahopane concentrations detected in the Xinhe Formation with similar maturity inferred that thermal evolution is not the unique factor inducing the compound generating. The sedimentation of samples rich in 17α (H)-diahopane usually occur under suboxic conditions. Results of mineralogy analysis suggested that samples with high content of 17α (H)-diahopane are rich in carbonate minerals (about 20 wt %), which might deposit in brackish-saline water depositional environment. Relatively high content of gammacerane is also consistent with the experimental results of XRD. Based on the viewpoint of Moldowan et al. (1991), the regular hopanes may be the precursor of the rearranged hopanes, with the Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement as the mechanism. In this reaction, the critical factor of methyl migration is the production of carbocation starting with dehydroxylation. We suggested a general scheme for the generation of 17α (H)-diahopane in this study. In lacustrine sediments, suboxic and brackish environment could catalyze the methyl migration accompanied by carbonate deposit. Its geochemical implication can be used to reconstruct lacustrine paleoenvironment and contribute to a better understanding on oil-oil correlation, oil-source rock correlation and petroleum system study.

Cytotoxic withanolides from the aerial parts of Tubocapsicum anomalum

Ten new withanolides (1–10) and three artificial withanolides (11–13) were isolated from the aerial parts of Tubocapsicum anomalum, together with five known analogues (14–18). Their structures were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic and chemical methods. They include seven acnistin–type (1–4, 11, 14 and 15), three withajardin–type (5–7), and eight normal–type (8–10, 12, 13 and 16–18) withanolides. Of normal–type withanolides, a chemical conversion from the 16α,17α–epoxywithanolide (16) to Δ13,14–16α–hydroxywithanolide (18) was achieved by Wagner–Meerwein rearrangement. All isolates were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against four human tumor cell lines (HCT–116, HepG2, MCF–7 and A375). Among them, compounds 1–3, 6–8, 14, 16–18 showed cytotoxic activity with IC50 values of 0.24–8.71 μM.

A rearranged seco-steroid with new skeleton and five new abnormal progesteroids from Nodulisporium sp.

Abeo-nodulisporisteroid A (1), an abnormal steroid with a rearranged C3 chain at C-9 possibly derived from seco-ring A via Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement and oxidations, was obtained from Nodulisporium sp. together with five related new seco-progesteroids (nodulisporisteroids M-Q, 2–6), which were elucidated by the extensive spectroscopic analysis and X-ray crystallography. A plausible biosynthetic pathway of 1–6 was also proposed. Furthermore, these isolated compounds were also evaluated for cytotoxicities against five human tumour cell lines, antimicrobial activities, and inhibitions against PI3K gamma, Aβ42 aggregation, and α-glucosidase.

Allylation of Orthoquinones Towards Annulated Polycyclic Aromatic Systems.

Promising results of an efficient and convenient strategy for the annulation of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), employing orthoquinones as starting material and comprising allylation, pinacol rearrangement, ring-closing metathesis (RCM), and one-pot reduction followed by Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement, are presented. The strategy involves introducing triallylborane prepared in situ in the allylation step. Moreover, a novel expedient method for the preparation of 9,10-diallylphenanthrene was introduced.

Back Cover: Bioactive Alkaloids from Indole‐3‐carbinol Exposed Culture of Daldiniaeschscholzii (Chin. J. Chem. 8/2018)

The back cover picture shows Two new and rare bioactive indoles named dalesindoloids A (1) and B (3), along with 3‐(1H‐indole‐3ylmethyl)‐2‐oxindole (2), were characterized from the indole‐3‐carbinol (I3C)‐exposed culture of Daldinia eschscholzii. Dalesindoloids A and B were cytotoxic against the leukemia HL‐60 cell line with the IC50 values of 1.0 and 7.4 mol/L, respectively, with the former being inhibitory on Staphylococcus aureus (MIC: 9.1 μmol/L). The simultaneous characterization of the alkaloids from the I3C‐exposed fungal culture highlighted that the 2,3‐epoxyindoline motif can be transformed into both lactam and indolin‐3‐one moieties. This is the first‐time description of the 2,3‐epoxyindoline chemical versatility and Wagner‐Meerwein rearrangement (WMR) reaction in the microbial culture. More details are discussed in the article by Tan et al. on page 749–753. image

Bioactive Alkaloids from Indole‐3‐carbinol Exposed Culture of Daldiniaeschscholzii

AbstractTwo new and rare bioactive indoles named dalesindoloids A (1) and B (3), along with 3‐(1H‐indole‐3ylmethyl)‐2‐oxindole (2), were characterized from the indole‐3‐carbinol (I3C)‐exposed culture of Daldinia eschscholzii. The absolute configuration of 2 was determined by quantum chemical calculations of the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectrum. Dalesindoloids A and B were cytotoxic against the leukemia HL‐60 cell line with the IC50 values of 1.0 and 7.4 μmol/L, respectively, with the former being inhibitory on Staphylococcus aureus (MIC: 9.1 μmol/L). The simultaneous characterization of the alkaloids from the I3C‐exposed fungal culture highlighted that the 2,3‐epoxyindoline motif can be transformed into both lactam and indolin‐3‐one moieties. This is the first‐time description of the 2,3‐epoxyindoline chemical versatility and Wagner‐Meerwein rearrangement (WMR) reaction in the microbial culture.

Stereochemical Aspects of Some Rearrangements of Gibberellic Acid

The stereochemistry of some rearrangement reactions of the diterpenoid plant hormone gibberellic acid, including the allylic rearrangements of substituents and the lactone in ring A, rearrangements involving ring B and the Wagner–Meerwein rearrangements of rings C and D, are reviewed.