Chamobtusin Synthesis

Hidenori Watanabe and co-workers from the University of Tokyo have published on an aza-Michael reaction approach to synthesizing chamobtusin.

OL paper

Gold Catalyzed Three Component Approach

Dean Toste and co-workers have published in Organic Letters on a gold catalyzed three component coupling reaction between an alkene, alcohol and and an aryl trimethyl silane.  A similar reaction was reported by Christopher Russell’s group from the University of Bristol.

OL paper (Toste)

OL paper (Russell)

Synthesis of Streptolydigin

Sergey Kozmin and co-worker from the University of Chicago have published in JACS on the total synthesis of streptolydigin.

JACS paper

Azonazine

Phillip Crews and co-workers have isolated an alkaloid, azonazine, that had an IC50 value of 8.37 micromolar against NF-κB luciferase.

OL paper

Asymmetric [3+2] Reaction

Interestingly, this report by Sarah Reisman and co-workers of a [3+2] cycloaddition reaction can be also seen as a Michael-Mannich reaction.

JACS paper

Lycoflexine Synthesis

Johann Mulzer and co-workers at the University of Vienna have published in JACS on a total synthesis of lycoflexine where the key reaction is an enynene ring closing metathesis reaction.

JACS paper

Esculeoside A

Toshihiro Nohara and co-workers at Sojo University have published in the Journal of Natural Products on the isolation of a compound that may help prevent atherosclerosis by inhibiting acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyl transferase (ACAT) or “CE” accumulation (cholesterol ester accumulation) at high doses (~50 micromolar – 40% CE accumulation inhibition).  Although the compound, esculeogenin A, was not as effective as the synthetic compound CI976, which inhibited CE accumulation by 90% at 5 micromolar, it was important to point out that the compound is from a natural food source.

JNP paper

Strychnine Synthesis

No matter when the generation, a total synthesis of strychnine would always be fascinating.

ACIEE paper

[4+4] Photocycloaddition Reaction

Scott Sieburth and co-workers from Temple University have published in Organic Letters on a [4+4] photocycloaddition reaction to access a 5,5,5,5-fused ring system.

OL paper

Perophoramidine Synthesis

Yong Qin and co-workers from Sichuan University have published in JACS on the total synthesis of perophoramidine.  The key step was a superstoichiometric silver mediated Diels-Alder reaction.

JACS paper