JMS Future

The Future of Total Synthesis
Jason M. Stevens
01.26.2012
a brief forward
■ The idea for tonights topic was from discussions with all of you over the past 1.5 years
■ The intent of presentation is to:
■ Discuss a brief history of total synthesis for the purpose of context
■ Briefly review the the best current work in the field of total synthesis
■ Present examples that underscore the transitions occurring in total synthesis for the
purpose of discussion
Total Synthesis of Natural Products
a brief history
■ It all began with urea...
■ Wöhlers synthesis of urea demonstrated that organic matter could be produced synthetically
■ Discredited vitalism, the theory that organic matter possessed a vital force inherent to living things
H2N NH2
urea
Friedrich Wöhler (1828). "Ueber künstliche Bildung des Harnstoffs". Annalen der Physik und Chemie 88 (2): 253–256.
a brief history
■ Gustaf Komppa’s industrial synthesis of camphor in 1903 via semi-synthesis from pinene
■ Camphor was a scarce natural product with a worldwide demand
■ Important milestone in synthetic organic chemistry
Me Me
Me
O
camphor
a brief history
■ The modern era of total synthesis began with Woodward’s synthesis of quinine
■ The ability to utilize a predictive set of known reactions to execute a synthetic plan
■ Ushered in the modern era of total synthesis
HO
N
MeO
quinine
Woodward, R. B.; Doering, W. E. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1944, 66: 849-849.

why we’ve made molecules since 1828
■ Three driving forces for undertaking the total synthesis of natural products
Potential Societal Impact Assist Structural Identification Inspire New Methods
HO
H
N
MeO N
H H
O O
N H
originally proposed skeleton

quinine strychnine
of cholesterol
why we make molecules in 2012
■ Modern analytical methods have largely eliminated the need to verify structure through synthesis
■ We’re now entering an era where chemists can make molecules with unprecedented efficiency
■ Focus is largely shifting toward the synthesis of molecules that have the potential for societal impact
HO
H
N
MeO N
H H
O O
N H

quinine strychnine
of cholesterol
What is the Future of Total Synthesis?
topics for discussion
■ Brief discussion of how the field of total synthesis has changed over the past 50 years
■ Discussion will be limited to active research groups located at U.S. institutions since 1960
■ Highlight recent literature that contrast the past and present of total synthesis
■ Use insights from these examples to look toward the future
HO
H
N
MeO N
H H
O O
N H

quinine strychnine
of cholesterol
Key Research Programs in Total Synthesis
programs initiated from 1961-1972
Barry Trost (1965) David Evans (1967) Larry Overman (1970) Amos Smith (1972)
Also: Phil Magnus, James Marshall, Albert Padwa, James White
■ Equipped with the knowledge that complex molecules can be made
■ The goals of synthetic efforts from this group largely focused on accessing the desired target
Syntheses completed by 1972
Strychnine - Woodward Prostaglandin - Corey
Reserpine - Woodward Progesterone - W. S. Johnson

Also: Phil Magnus, James Marshall, Albert Padwa, James White
■ Equipped with the knowledge that complex molecules can be made
■ Only a limited selection of reliable “synthons”
Reactions and Reagents that Didn’t Exist in 1972 Active areas of research at that time
Chiral Auxiliaries Hydroboration
Heck, Kumada-Corriu, Stille, and Suzuki Couplings Controlling enolate geometry
Sharpless epoxidation Organic photochemistry
TBSCl Cross-coupling reactions
■ Throughout their careers they produced many total syntheses which, at the time their programs began,
were seeming impossible
R
O Cl
O O
HO OH
Cl O O
H H H
O N N N
N N N Me
H H H
HN O O O Me
HO2C
NH2 Me
OH
HO OH Vancomycin (Evans 1998)
Evans, D. A.; Wood, M. R.; Trotter, W. B.; Richardson, T. I.; Barrow, J. C.; Katz, J. L. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 1998, 37, 2700-2704.
■ Devoted much of their careers to developing new methods to enable the synthesis of natural products
Me OH
HO
Me
H O HO
O O
O OR
Me Me HO O N
All stereocenters set by asymmetric
OH
O O aldol, alkylation or epoxidation
Me Me
Ph Me
OH O OH
cytovaricin (Evans 1990)

Me H
Me
Evans, D. A.; Kaldor, S. W.; Jones, T. K.; Clardy, J.; Stout, T. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1990, 112, 7001-7031.
■ Pioneered many fundamental advances and applications for transition metal chemistry
Me TsMeN
H
N O
NH
quadrigemine C H H N
(Overman 2002) Me N Me N
N Bn
N TfO
OTf
N Bn N
N Me N N Me
H H H
H
HN O
N
H
Me NMeTs
Lebsack, A. D.; Link, J. T.; Overman, L. E.; Stearns, B. A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 9008-9009.
■ Executed syntheses of natural products with the aim of exploring its therapeutic potential
OH
Me
HO
HO
O
H H H
Me
O O
H OMe
spongistatin 1 X = Cl
O HO
O
spongistatin 2 X=H OH
O H
H O
(Evans 1998, Smith 2001) Me
OH O H
O
X Me
AcO
OAc
Me OH
■ Famous molecules as a benchmark for total synthesis and a continued source of inspiration
H
N
H H
O O
H
strychnine
Magnus, Overman, Padwa (Woodward)

K.C. Nicolaou (1976) Paul Wender (1976) Dale Boger (1979) Stuart Schreiber (1981)
Also: James Cook, Mike Crimmins, Gary Keck, Tom Hoye, Stephen Martin, Viresh Rawal, Bill Roush, Bob Williams
Dave Williams and Jeffrey Winkler
■ Applied some of the most vigorously studied research in organic chemistry toward natural products
■ Completed brilliant total syntheses of some of the most complicated molecules ever isolated
Ph
H
endiandric acids A-D

(Nicolaou 1982) H
H CO2H
H HO OH
H
Nicolaou, K. C.; Petasis, N. A.; Zipkin, R. E.; Uenishi, J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1982, 104, 5555-5557.
■ Applied some of the most vigorously studied research in organic chemistry toward natural products
■ Completed brilliant total syntheses of some of the most complicated molecules ever isolated
O O CO2Et O
HO O
HO O CO2Et
O O O
Me O CMe3 Me
TESO hν
HO O Me
O Me TESO
Me Me
Me
ginkolide B (Crimmins 1999)
Crimmins, M. T. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 10249-10250.

■ During their careers the “synthetic toolkit” had expanded drastically
■ New transformations provided increased access to exceptionally complicated structures
HO H O
Me H
Me H H O
Me
O H Me O H
H H H O
O H
O
O O H
H
H H O O H
O H H H
brevetoxin A (Nicolaou 1998, Crimmins 2008)

■ During their careers the “synthetic toolkit” had expanded drastically
■ The synthesis of Nature’s most complicated therapeutic leads became a worthy endeavor
Ph AcO O OH
HN O Me
Ph Me
O HO O Me
H O
HO OBz OAc
taxol (Nicolaou 1994, Wender 1997)

most synthetic efforts largely focused on accessing the desired target

programs initiated between 1985-1996
Andrew Myers (1986) Scott Rychnovsky (1988) Peter Wipf (1990) John Wood (1993)
Also: Arun Ghosh, John Montgomery, James Panek, Tom Pettus and John Rainier
■ Constructed molecules of incredible complexity with innovative methods
Me OTMS Me
H H
CO2H CO2TIPS
OH O HN N
O O O
OMe OMe
H OTMS OTMS H
OH O OH O
dynemicin (Myers 1995) Myers, A. G.; Fraley, M. E.; Tom, N. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1994, 116, 11556-11557.
■ Continued the traditions of building molecules of incredible complexity
Me
O Me
Me
Me H
HO HO
ingenol (Wood 2004) HO
HO
Nickel, A,; Maruyama, T.; Tang, H.; Murphy, P. D.; Green, B. Yusuff, N. Wood, J. L. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 16300-16301.
■ Continued the traditions of building molecules of incredible complexity
Me OH NMe2
HO H H
OH
NH2
OH
OH O OH O
tetracycline (Myers 2005)
Charest, M. G.; Siegel, D. R.; Myers, A. G.; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 8292-8293.
A Paradigm Shift in Total Synthesis
“can we make everything” becomes “how well can we make everything”
■ A significant aim of the synthetic community from 1940 to ~1995 entailed accessing the desired structure
■ Once the synthetic natural product was obtained the project was over
■ Recent years have placed additional focus on how well we access desired targets
■ The shift is evident (not ubiquitous) with total synthesis programs initiated after this period
■ This shift is being increasingly adopted by the research groups initiated before this period
why the mid-1990’s
■ In 1990 Corey wins the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the...
“...development of the theory and methodology of organic synthesis”.

■ A high profile introspective analysis concerning synthetic efficiency was published in 1991.
Atom Economy
Trost B. M. Science 1991 254, 1471-1477.

■ The taxol problem exemplified the limitations total synthesis for assembling structures that carry the
potential to have societal impact (35 groups worked on taxol)
Robert Holton (1994) K.C. Nicolaou (1994) Sam Danishefsky (1996) Paul Wender (1997)
46 longest linear steps 42 longest linear steps 49 longest linear steps 37 longest linear steps
Ph AcO O OH
HN O Me
Ph Me
O HO O Me
H O
HO OBz OAc
taxol
■ The taxol problem exemplified the limitations total synthesis for assembling structures that carry the
potential to have societal impact (35 groups worked on taxol)
Robert Holton (1994) K.C. Nicolaou (1994) Sam Danishefsky (1996) Paul Wender (1997)
46 steps 55 steps 49 steps 37 steps
Consideration of the chemical complexity of baccatin III, which in suitably protected form would be
the likely synthetic intermediate en route to taxol, should have engendered considerable
skepticism and even disbelief that total synthesis would supplant natural sources as a
route to the drug. More plausible, though as yet unrealized in practice, is the prospect that
mastery of the synthesis of baccatin III will bring with it new nuclei which, upon suitable
conjugation with biologically critical side chains, might provide medically promising variants of
taxol.
-Samuel Danishefsky
David MacMillan (1998) Erik Sorensen (2001) Phil Baran (2003) Mo Movassaghi (2003)
Also: Martin Burke, Steve Castle, Jef De Brabander, Justin Du Bois, Greg Dudley, Paul Floreancig, Neil Garg, Timothy
Jamison, Jeff Johnson, Jeff Johnston, Glen Micalizio, Jon Njardarson, Sarah Reisman, Richmond Sarpong, Karl Scheidt,
Matthew Shair, Scott Snyder, Brian Stoltz, Regan Thomson, Chris Vanderwal, Lawrence Williams, Armen Zakarian.
■ Breakthroughs in catalysis have opened new doors for powerful synthetic methods
■ Previous efforts in total synthesis have provided a framework for new researchers to build on
■ The result is that highly complex targets are being synthesized with incredible efficiency
■ Examples of powerful synthetic methods for total synthesis developed in the last 10 years
H H H H H
HO Me O O
water
O O
Me
O 70 °C, 72 h HO O O
O H H H H H
71%
common ladder toxin subunit
Vilotijevic, I.; Jamison, T. J. Science 2007 317, 1189-1192

Me Bn
O OH
O
O MgBr
TBSO H CO2t-Bu
t-BuO2C TBS CO2t-Bu OAc O H H
H CO2t-Bu THF t-BuO2C
OTBS Bn O CO2H
2 equiv -78 to -45 °C O CO2H
50% Me HO2C
OH
zaragozic acid C
Nicewicz, D. A.; Satterfield, A. D.; Schmitt, D. C. Johnson, J. S. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008 130, 17281-17283.
NBoc O
NHBoc Me O
O ·TBA
N
1-Nap (-)-strychnine
N SeMe tBu 82%, 97% ee N
N
PMB H PMB
20 mol%
Jones, S. B.; Simmons, B.; Mastracchio, A.; MacMillan, D. W. C. Nature 2011 850, 183-188.
PhO2S
O O H
N H N
O Me Me
N S N
Br Me
N N O N S O
Me Me
N Me
Me Me
CoCl(PPh3)3 O N O S N
N
O N N S
SO2Ph 46% Me Me
N H N H
O H O
SO2Ph
(+)-11,11’-dideoxyverticillin A
Kim, J.; Ashenhurst, J. A.; Movassaghi, M. Science 2011 324, 238-241.

■ Advances in new methodologies and synthetic strategies have changed how we view total syntheses
■ Greater emphasis on striving for an “ideal synthesis”
■ To a growing extent, attaining the natural product is no longer the final goal
■ Total synthesis is starting to become an auxiliary function of new research in chemistry

representation of what we strive to accomplish in total synthesis
Me Bn O H
H N
N Me
S N
O
N S O
H Me
OAc O H H Me
N O S N
Bn O CO2H H H
N S
O CO2H
O O N Me
Me HO2C H H
OH H O
zaragozic acid C strychnine (+)-11,11’-dideoxyverticillin A
■ Two syntheses outlined broadly applicable concepts (cascade catalysis, controlled oligimerization)
■ All outlined powerful methods to deliver the natural product in short order(10-15 steps)
■ Two syntheses are of molecules with promising bioactivity

Me Bn O H
H N
N Me
S N
O
N S O
H Me
OAc O H H Me
N O S N
Bn O CO2H H H
N S
O CO2H
O O N Me
Me HO2C H H
OH H O

Me Bn O H
H N
N Me
S N
O
N S O
H Me
OAc O H H Me
N O S N
Bn O CO2H H H
N S
O CO2H
O O N Me
Me HO2C H H
OH H O
Many - some would argue most - natural products can now be synthesized if suitable resources are
provided. The challenge in synthesis is therefore increasingly not whether a molecule can be made,
but whether it can be made in a practical fashion, in sufficient quantities for the needs of research
and/ or society, and in a way that is environmentally friendly if not ‘ideal’.
-Paul Wender
Me Bn O H
H N
N Me
S N
O
N S O
H Me
OAc O H H Me
N O S N
Bn O CO2H H H
N S
O CO2H
O O N Me
Me HO2C H H
OH H O
■ These represent premier total syntheses for our time
■ In general, these syntheses are atypical from most syntheses that are published in top journals
■ While they embody what we strive to accomplish as synthetic chemists, they are only a small but rapidly
growing representation of current work in the field of total synthesis
insights from three recent total syntheses of groups from three different era’s
■ Three molecules that highlight the perceived divisions for the modern role of total synthesis
■ Which natural products do we make?
■ All, some, any? Structurally interesting, biologically active?
■ What holds more value?
■ The structure, method employed, lessons learned, or future prospects?
Me OH
Me
O HO
Me HO +H
O 2N
H O H H H
Me NH O
O O HO
O H OMe HN
Me
O HO HO O NH2
O
OH N NH
O HO O O H
H O
Me
OH O H NH2+
O OMe O
Cl Me
AcO
OAc
OH Me OH
resiniferatoxin spongistatin 1 (+)-saxitoxin

Wender's Synthesis of Daphnane Diterpene Orthoesters
Me
O
Me
H O
Me O
O HO O
O OMe
resiniferatoxin OH
■ Plants containing DDOs have been used medicinally for over 2000 years
■ Many DDOs are leads for treatment of cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative disease and pain.
■ Resiniferatoxin has advanced into Phase II clinical trials
■ Study and use of DDOs are hampered by supply and cost issues
Wender, P. A.; Buschmann, N.; Cardin, N. B.; Jones, L. R.; Kan, C.; Kee, J.-M.; Kowalski, J. A.; Longcore, K. E.;
Nature Chem. 2011, 3, 615-619.
the first synthesis of a daphnane diterpene by Wender in 1997
Me
O HO
Me Me OAc
H O
OH Me
Me H OBn
Me O
H OBn H
H O
O HO O Me O
Ph RO
O OMe OTMS OTBS
O TBSO
resiniferatoxin
OH
OAc OAc
OAc
Me Me
Me
OBn OBn
O H OBn O
O O O
HO
OAc
OTBS OTBS
■ Total synthesis featured 46 stop and go steps, tour de force

■ Key disconnections: oxidopyrilium cycloaddition. Enyne ring closure. Applied in highly complex system
■ Wender’s total synthesis is widely regarded as a “classic”
Wender, P. A.; Jesudason, C. D.; Nikahira, H.; Tamura, N.; Tebbe, A. L.; Ueno, Y. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1997, 119, 12976-12977.
function oriented synthesis
■ Original total synthesis not ideal from an efficiency or a structural diversification perspective
Me
PMP
Me Me
O R1 O
Me R1 O
O OH
H O
H O H OR
Me O
H
Me O Me O
R2
O HO O
O
O HO OR
O O
O HO O
OMe
O
O PMP
OH
major subset of DDOs
resiniferatoxin
(X = H, 73 congeners)
■ Key question:
■ Is a more structurally diverse DDO collection accessible to probe function?
■ Can analog synthesis reveal a more synthetically accessible structure that retains function
Nature Chem. 2011, 3, 615-619.
■ Original total synthesis not ideal from an efficiency or a structural diversification perspective
Me
O
Me
H O
Me O
O HO O
O OMe
OH
resiniferatoxin
■ Key question:
■ Is a more structurally diverse DDO collection accessible to probe function?
■ Can analog synthesis reveal a more synthetically accessible structure that retains function
Nature Chem. 2011, 3, 615-619.
PMP
Me
Me O
R1 O
R1 OH
O
H OBn
H O H
Me O
Me O
R2
O
O O
O HO OR O
HO O
O PMP
major subset of DDOs general precursor
(X = H, 73 congeners) (22 steps from commercial)
Me Me
Me
HO
O OAc
OH O
Me
H OBn OBn
H OBn vs O H
O H
O O
O
Ph HO TBSO OTBS
Br
TBSO
TBSO
10 steps from tartrate revised cycloadduct original cycloadduct
Nature Chem. 2011, 3, 615-619.
probing the function of the “B” ring
PMP
Me
O Me Me Me
O AcO AcO AcO
OH
O O O
H Me Me Me
OBn
H H O H O H O
Me B O
Me O Me O Me O
Ph Ph Ph
(19 steps) O O
O O
O
O O HO OH O HO OH O HO OH
HO HO HO
O PMP
general precursor (22 steps) 1 2 3
PKC affinity, Ki (nM)a Cellular growth inhibition

A549 EC50 (nm)b K562 EC50 (nm)c
1 0.48 +/- 0.07 150 +/- 30 7 +/- 1
2 343 +/- 6 > 10,000 > 10,000
3 1.6 +/- 0.1 1500 +/- 60 87 +/- 5
aPKC = protein kinase C, a family of serine/threonine kinases bA549 = human lung carcinoma cK562 = human chronic myleogenous
leukaemia.
■ Screen of analogs revealed the high potency of DDO’s as a ligand for PKC
■ Carries the potential for treatment of cancer, alzheimers, and AIDS.

PMP
Me
O Me Me Me
O AcO AcO AcO
OH
O O O
H Me Me Me
OBn
H H O H O H O
Me B O
Me O Me O Me O
Ph Ph Ph
(19 steps) O O
O O
O
HO HO HO
O PMP
PKC affinity, Ki (nM)a Cellular growth inhibition

A549 EC50 (nm)b K562 EC50 (nm)c
1 0.48 +/- 0.07 150 +/- 30 7 +/- 1
2 343 +/- 6 > 10,000 > 10,000
3 1.6 +/- 0.1 1500 +/- 60 87 +/- 5
aPKC = protein kinase C, a family of serine/threonine kinases bA549 = human lung carcinoma cK562 = human chronic myleogenous
leukaemia.
■ An assay against both cancer cell lines reveals the importance of the epoxide stereochemistry
■ Interestingly, the simplified des-epoxy analog is active

PMP
Me
O Me Me Me
O AcO AcO AcO
OH
O O O
H Me Me Me
OBn
H H O H O H O
Me B O
Me O Me O Me O
Ph Ph Ph
(19 steps) O O
O O
O
HO HO HO
O PMP
■ Calculations showed a preservation of the oxygen spatial arrangement between 1 and 3
■ The β-epoxide of 2, significantly perturbs the orientation of the hydoxymethyl relative to 1

a model for the future?
PMP
Me
O Me Me Me
O AcO AcO AcO
OH
O O O
H Me Me Me
OBn
H H O H O H O
Me B O
Me O Me O Me O
Ph Ph Ph
(19 steps) O O
O O
O
HO HO HO
O PMP
■ Original synthesis was a tour de force, 46 steps, of an incredibly complicated molecule
■ They delivered an improved synthesis of a more complicated and functionally versatile molecule
■ Is the tour de force synthesis relevant if it delivers additional compound for testing?
■ Is the second generation route more valuable than the synthesis of another natural product?
■ Does a molecules potential for societal impact alter how we perceive its total synthesis?
Smiths' Synthesis of the Spongistatins
OH
Me
HO
HO
O
H H H
Me
O O
H OMe
O HO
O
OH
O H
H O
Me
OH O H
O
X Me
AcO
OAc
Me OH
spongistatin 2 X=H
Smith, A. B., III; Doughty, V. A.; Lin, Q.; Zhuang, L; McBriar, M. D.; Boldi, A. M.; Moser,
W. H.; Murase, N.; Nakayama, K. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2001, 40, 196-199.
Smith, A. B., III; Lin, Q.; Doughty, V. A.; Zhuang, L; McBriar, M. D.; Kerns, J. K.; Brook,
C. S.; Murase, N.; Nakayama, K. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2001, 40, 197-201.
Smith, A. B., III; Zhu, W.; Shirakami, S.; Sfouggatakis, C.; Doughty, V. A.;
Bennett, C. S.; Sakamoto, Y. Org. Lett. 2003, 5, 761-764.
history of the spongistatins
OH
Me
HO
HO
O
H H H
Me
O O
H OMe
O HO
O
OH
O H
H O
Me
OH O H
O
X Me
AcO
OAc
Me OH
spongistatin 2 X=H
■ Isolated in the early 1990's by the Pettit, Fusetani, and Kitagawa laboratories
■ Pettit’s attempted re-isolation delivered 35 mg of spongistatin 1 from 13 TONS of sponge!
■ Two spiroketals, two tetrahydropyrans, hemiketal, 42 membered macrolide

OH
Me
HO
HO
O
H H H
Me
O O
H OMe
O HO
O
OH
O H
H O
Me
OH O H
O
X Me
AcO
OAc
Me OH
spongistatin 2 X=H
■ Spongistatin 1 has been recognized as one of the most selective cytotoxic agents known
■ Average IC50 value of 0.12 nM against the NCI panel of 60 human cancer cell lines
■ Proposed to bind β-tubulin near, but distinct from, the vinca domain where vinca alkaloids bind
OH
Me
HO
HO
O
H H H
Me
O O
H OMe
O HO
O
OH
O H
H O
Me
OH O H
O
X Me
AcO
OAc
Me OH
spongistatin 2 X=H
■ Promising therapeutic potential and daunting structure drew much interest as a synthetic target
■ Total syntheses of 1 and 2: Kishi & Evans (1998), Smith, Paterson, Crimmins, Ley, Heathcock and others
■ Smith completed the total synthesis of spongistatin 2 in 2001 and 1 in 2003 (48 longest linear steps)
Smiths’ first generation synthesis
■ Retrosynthetic analysis
OH
Me OTBS
HO E Me
HO PPh3I
O MeO E O H
H H H TESO
Me O H
O O H H
H F D OMe Me O
O D OMe
O HO C H F
O OTIPS TBSO
OH OTMS O C
O H
H O OTMS O H
Me H O
OH O H Me
A O O H
Cl Me OTMS A O
AcO B Me
OAc Cl AcO B OAc
Me OH
Me OH
■ Late stage Yamaguchi macrolactonization to form the macrocycle
■ A Wittig olefination unites the eastern and western halves of the molecule
OH
Me OTBS
HO E Me
HO PPh3I
O MeO E O H
H H H TESO
Me O H
O O H H
H F OMe Me O
O OMe
O HO H F
O OTIPS TBSO
OH OTMS O
O H
H O OTMS O H
Me H O
OH O H Me
O O H
Cl Me OTMS O
AcO Me
OAc Cl AcO
Me OH OAc
Me OH
Me Me
SnBu3 OTBS
O S O O
Me
OTES H OBn
MeO E Me
TESO S
O O
OTMS H H F
Me OBn
E
Cl O
F OPMB
OTES
OH
Me OTBS
HO Me
HO PPh3I
O MeO O H
H H H TESO
Me O H
O O H H
H D OMe Me O
O D OMe
O HO C H
O OTIPS TBSO C
OH OTMS O
O H
H O OTMS O H
Me H O
OH O H Me
A O O H
Cl Me OTMS A O
AcO B Me
OAc Cl AcO B
Me OH OAc
Me OH
■ Retrosynthetic analysis BnO

O H H
H BPSO O
D OMe
O
D OMe O MeO H TBSO C
O O
OTIPS TBSO C Me A
O I H
Me O B OBOM
O H Me
H O
Me Me OH
O H Me
A O
Me PhO2S ODMB
AcO B OAc
Me OH

O H H
H BPSO O
OMe
O
OMe O MeO H TBSO
O O
OTIPS TBSO Me A
O I H
Me O B OBOM
O H Me
H O
Me Me OH
O H Me
A O
Me PhO2S ODMB
AcO B OAc
Me OH
Me
Me
OH O
OH OH OTBS OH O
S S Me S S O Me
A OTs
O
BPSO
BPSO
B TBS

O H H
H BPSO O
D OMe
O
D OMe O MeO H TBSO C
O O
OTIPS TBSO C Me
O I H
Me O OBOM
O H Me
H O
Me Me OH
O H Me
O
Me PhO2S ODMB
AcO
OAc
Me OH
BnO
S S H Me
Me O Me
D OMe TBSO TBSO OMe O
S S
Me TBSO C BnO O
O
O O H D C
I
DMP
Me
Me
OTBS O
O O
S S O
BnO
TBS
anion relay chemistry
■ A versatile method for polyketide synthesis - used to form AB and CD fragments
O
S S S S
TBS
dianion phosgene
equivalent umpole
S S
S S S S R3Si OTBS
S S
base O 1,3-Brook R
TBS TBS O rearrangement
R
R
bifunctional nucleophile “anion relay”
linchpin
OH O OTBS
OH OTBS
S S R1 R
R1 R
O
readily accessible
R1
review of their initial synthetic efforts
■ Overview of their entire synthesis and strategy
OH
Me Wittig (64%) OTBS
HO O H
HO Me
O PPh3I H
H H H MeO
Me TESO O
O O O OMe
H OMe H H
Me OTIPS TBSO
O HO O O
O H
OH 48 steps O H
O H OTMS H O
H O Me
Me OTMS O H
OH O H O
O 5 steps Me
Cl Me AcO
AcO OTMS OAc
OAc
Cl Me OH
Me OH
Yamaguchi (81%) Alkylation (92%) 24 steps, 0.3% 43 steps

O H
H
O
OMe
BPSO
TBSO
O
O MeO H
O H
Me I O
Me O Me
19 steps Me OTES Me
PhO2S OAc
11 steps 24 steps
■ Overview of their synthesis and strategy
OH
HO O H
HO Me
O PPh3I H
H H H MeO
Me TESO O
O O O OMe
H OMe H H
Me OTIPS TBSO
O HO O O
O H
OH O H
O H OTMS H O
H O Me
Me OTMS O H
OH O H O
O 5 steps Me
Cl Me AcO
AcO OTMS OAc
OAc
Cl Me OH
Me OH
■ Versatile synthetic route that accommodated necessary changes in routes and strategies
■ Methods employed in the synthesis were designed to access many structurally diverse natural products
■ Methods employed were not ideally suited for this specific molecule
■ Allowed them to complete the total synthesis, not ideal for scale up or analog synthesis
■ Overview of their synthesis and strategy
OH
HO O H
HO Me
O PPh3I H
H H H MeO
Me TESO O
O O O OMe
H OMe H H
Me OTIPS TBSO
O HO O O
O H
OH O H
O H OTMS H O
H O Me
Me OTMS O H
OH O H O
O 5 steps Me
Cl Me AcO
AcO OTMS OAc
OAc
Cl Me OH
Me OH
■ Should we attempt the total synthesis of molecules this large and complex?
■ Are these types of tour de force syntheses worth undertaking in 2012?
■ Should versatile methods (diverse array of accessible structures) continue to be employed?
■ Should methods be more ideally suited (and scalable) for a specific molecule?
review of their second generation synthesis
■ Vastly Improved Second Generation Synthesis
OH
Me Wittig (Crimmins, 64%) OTBS
HO O H
HO Me
O PPh3I H
H H H MeO
Me TESO O
O O O OMe
H OMe H H
Me OTIPS TBSO
O HO O O
O H
OH O H
O H OTMS H O
H O Me
Me OTMS O H
OH O H O
O 4 steps Me
Cl Me AcO
AcO OTMS OAc
OAc Paterson Aldol Cl Me OH
Me OH
Evans, Crimmins
1.009 g prepared Paterson, Heathcock
24 steps, 9.5% yield 22 steps, 6.5% yield
5.8 g prepared
■ Took cues from previous syntheses to revise their overall retrosynthetic strategy
■ Adopted changes to fragment syntheses that were more specifically tuned toward this molecule
■ Vastly improved efficiency and scalability
Smith, A. B., III; Tomioka, T.; Risatti, C. A.; Sperry, J. B.; Sfouggatakis, C. Org. Lett. 2008, 10, 4359-4362.
OH
Me
OTBS
HO O H
HO Me
O PPh3I H
H H H MeO
Me TESO O
O O O OMe
H OMe H H
Me OTIPS TBSO
O HO O O
O H
OH O H
O H OTMS H O
H O Me
Me OTMS O H
OH O H O
O 4 steps Me
Cl Me AcO
AcO OTMS OAc
OAc
Cl Me OH
Me OH
1.009 g prepared
O OH O H
O 20% (L)-proline Me
BPSO O
BPSO H H
H Me
DMF, 4 °C OBn
Me Me
84%, 5:1 anti/syn OBn
68 g prepared
OH
Me
OTBS
HO O H
HO Me
O PPh3I H
H H H MeO
Me TESO O
O O O OMe
H OMe H H
Me OTIPS TBSO
O HO O O
O H
OH O H
O H OTMS H O
H O Me
Me OTMS O H
OH O H O
O 4 steps Me
Cl Me AcO
AcO OTMS OAc
OAc
Cl Me OH
Me OH
1.009 g prepared
■ How important is efficiency in a gram scale total synthesis of a bioactive natural product of low availability?
■ Do 2nd Gen syntheses have value for identifying more robust methods (proline aldol vs dithiane)?
■ Since earlier tour de force efforts enabled a highly efficient synthesis, do they hold more value?
analog syntheses from multiple groups provide insight regarding bioactivity
■ What was known about structural features required for activity
OH OH
Me Me C23 epimer
HO HO (200 nm)
HO HO
O O
H H H H H H
Me Me
O O O O
H OMe H OMe
O HO O HO
O O
OH OH
O H O H
H O H O
Me Me
OH O H OH O H
O O
Cl Me Cl Me
AcO AcO
OAc OAc
Me OH Me OH
spongistatin 1 Diene section

required for activity
■ What was known about structural features required for activity
OH
Me
HO
HO
O
H H H
Me
O O
H OMe
O HO
O
OH
O H
H O
Me
OH O H
O
Cl Me
AcO
OAc
Me OH
spongistatin 1
■ Appeared that the CD spiroketal wasn’t critical but does play some role
OH
Me
HO
HO
O
H H H
Me
O O
H OMe
O HO
O
OH
O H
H O
Me
OH O H
O
Cl Me
AcO
OAc
Me OH
spongistatin 1
OH OH
Me Me
HO HO
HO HO
O O
H H H H H
Me Me
O O O
H OMe H
O HO O
O
OH OH
O H O
H O H
Me
OH O H OH O H
O O
Cl Me Cl ( )5
AcO AcO
OAc
Me OH Me OH
spongistatin 1 480 nm (Heathcock)

OH
Me
HO
HO
O
H H H
Me
O O
H OMe
O HO
O
OH
O H
H O
Me
OH O H
O
Cl Me
AcO
OAc
Me OH
spongistatin 1
■ Also appears that the AB spiroketal wasn’t critical but does play some role
OH
Me
HO
HO
O
H H H
Me
O O
H OMe
O HO
O
OH
O H
H O
Me
OH O H
O
Cl Me
AcO
OAc
Me OH
spongistatin 1
OH
OH
Me
Me
HO
HO HO
O HO
H H H O
Me H H
O O Me
H OMe O
H
O HO
O O
OH
O H OH
H O O
Me
OH O H
O OH
Cl Me
AcO Cl
OAc
Me OH
spongistatin 1 460 nm (Heathcock)

OH
Me
HO
HO
O
H H H
Me
O O
H OMe
O HO
O
OH
O H
H O
Me
OH O H
O
Cl Me
AcO
OAc
Me OH
spongistatin 1
■ The “western” portion of spongistatin (diene & E, F rings) constitute the recognition domain
■ The “eastern” portion of spongistatin (A,B and C,D-spiroketals) imparts conformational restraints on
the western portion
OH
Me
HO
HO
O
H H H
Me
O O
H OMe
O HO
O
OH
O H
H O
Me
OH O H
O
Cl Me
AcO
OAc
Me OH
spongistatin 1
examining the conformational restraint hypothesis
■ How can the hypothesis of conformational restraint imparted by the eastern half be tested?
■ Random analog synthesis seemed cumbersome and unattractive
■ Molecular modeling may provide some insights
OH
Me
HO
HO
O
H H H
Me
O O
H OMe
O HO
O
OH
O H
H O
Me
OH O H
O
Cl Me
AcO
OAc
Me OH
spongistatin 1
Smith, A. B., III; Risatti, C. A.; Atasoylu, O.; Bennett, C. S.; Liu, J.; Cheng, H.;
TenDyke, K. Xu, Q. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 14042-14053.
insights from molecular modeling
■ Molecular modeling revealed two major an two minor conformations
■ Chloroform - “Flat” maximized intramolecular hydrogen bonds
■ Water - “Twisted” oxygens oriented toward solvent

insights from molecular modeling
■ Molecular modeling revealed two major an two minor conformations
■ DMSO & Acetonitrile - “Saddle”
■ Kitagawa original solution state structure from isolation report

molecular dynamics simulations
■ Focused on water as the solvent
■ Used molecular dynamics simulations to identify rigid and flexible regions
■ Lead to the development of “DISCON” (DIstrubution of Solution CONformations) MD software

■ Focused on water as the solvent
■ Used molecular dynamics simulations to identify rigid and flexible regions
■ Lead to the development of “DISCON” (DIstrubution of Solution CONformations) MD software
■ Red = Rigid, Blue = Intermediate, Green = Flexible; Number indicates bond pair where torsions change
together
■ The EFAB region is extremely rigid whereas the CD region is very flexible
■ The only rigidity in the “eastern” half comes from the CD spiroketal
■ The ends of the EFAB region tend to move as a single unit
■ Red = Rigid, Blue = Intermediate, Green = Flexible; Number indicates bond pair where torsions change
together
■ The EFAB region is extremely rigid whereas the CD region is very flexible
■ The only rigidity in the “eastern” half comes from the CD spiroketal
■ The ends of the EFAB region tend to move as a single unit
■ Explains why the C23 epimer results in loss of activity even as its not involved in recognition
OH
Me C23 epimer
HO E (200 nm)
HO
O
H H H
Me
O O
H F D OMe
O HO C
O
OH
O H
H O
Me
OH O H
A O
Cl Me
AcO B OAc
Me OH
■ An overlay of all the most populated solution state conformations is revealing
■ The rigid EFAB region is highly conserved

■ The tether employed by Heathcock didn’t impart enough conformational restraint on the EFAB region
■ Can an appropriate tether be designed to simplify the structure while maintaining activity?
OH OH
Me Me
HO HO
HO HO
O O
H H H H H
Me Me
O O O
H OMe H
O HO O
O
OH OH
O H O
H O H
Me
OH O H OH O H
O O
Cl Me Cl ( )5
AcO AcO
OAc
Me OH Me OH
spongistatin 1 ABEF analog (Heathcock)
< 1 nm 480 nm (Heathcock)

computationally aided analog design
■ Computationally aided analog design found ABEF analog with high structural homology to spongistatin
OH OH
Me Me
HO E E HO E
HO HO
O O
H H H H H
Me Me
O O O
H F OMe H F
F
O HO O
O O
OH OH
O H O
H O H O
Me
OH O H OH O H
O O
Cl Me Cl
AcO AcO
OAc
Me OH Me OH
spongistatin 1 ABEF analog (Smith)
macrolide strain energy = 8.3 kJ/mol macrolide strain energy = 9.1 kJ/mol
computationally aided analog design
■ Computationally aided analog design found ABEF analog with high structural homology to spongistatin
OH OH
Me Me
HO E E HO E
HO HO
O O
H H H H H
Me Me
O O O
H F OMe H F
F
O HO O
O O
OH OH
O H O
H O H O
Me
OH O H OH O H
O O
Cl Me Cl
AcO AcO
OAc
Me OH Me OH
macrolide strain energy = 8.3 kJ/mol macrolide strain energy = 9.1 kJ/mol
a highly potent spongistatin analog
■ Similar activity present after having deleted nearly 1/3 of the original structure
■ ABEF analog determined to have the same mode of action
OH OH
Me Me
HO HO
HO HO
O O
H H H H H
Me Me
O O O
H OMe H
O HO O
O O
OH OH
O H O
H O H O
Me
OH O H OH O H
O O
Cl Me Cl
AcO AcO
OAc
Me OH Me OH
MDA-MB-435 HT-29 H522-T1 U937
spongistatin 0.0225 0.058 0.16 0.059
ABEF analog 82.8 161.2 297.2 60.5

a review of their analog work
OTBS OH
Me Me
PPh3I
MeO HO
TESO HO
O O
H H H H
Me Me
O O
H CHO H
OTES O
OTIPS O
OTES O OH
O
O H O
H O 5 steps
OTBS OH O H
O H O
Cl O Cl
AcO
AcO
Me OH
Me OTES
29 steps
(20 steps shorter!!!)
■ Are the post total synthesis opportunities in computational chemistry and analog design worth the effort?
■ Do 2nd Gen syntheses have value for identifying more robust methods (proline aldol vs dithiane)?
■ Since earlier tour de force efforts enabled a highly efficient synthesis, do they hold more value?
■ Are these types of projects worth undertaking in 2012?

DuBois' Total Synthesis of Saxitoxin
+H
2N
NH O
HO
HN
HO O NH2
N NH
NH2+
(+)-saxitoxin
■ A highly oxidized and polar neurotoxic agent
■ Toxicity arises from disabling ionic conductance through voltage-gated sodium channel.
■ Exhibits nanomolar affinity for binding the extracellular mouth of the ion channel.
Fleming, J. J.; McReynolds, M. D.; Du Bois, J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 9964-9975.
■ Why synthesize a neurotoxic agent?
+H
2N
NH O
HO
HN
HO O NH2
N NH
NH2+
(+)-saxitoxin
■ Ion flux is crucial for many important biochemical processes
■ Small molecules that modulate ion flux may provide the discovery of new drugs
■ Chemically modified guanidinium toxin could be used to probe structure and function of ion channels
Rhodium catalyzed C-H amination
O O 2 mol% Rh2(OAc)2 O O
S PhI(OAc)2, MgO S
H2N O HN O
Me CH2Cl2 Me
Me Me
Me Me
Espino, C. G.; Wehn, P. M.; Chow, J.; Du Bois, J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 6935-6936.
+H
2N
NH O
HO
HN
HO O NH2
N NH
NH2+
S PhI(OAc)2, MgO S
H2N O HN O
Me CH2Cl2 Me
Me Me
Me Me
O O
O O S
HN O
S 0.3 mol% Rh2(esp)2
H2N O
PhI(OAc)2, MgO O
O CH2Cl2 O
Me
O 76% Me
Me
Me
S PhI(OAc)2, MgO S
H2N O HN O
Me CH2Cl2 Me
Me Me
Me Me
O O
O O S O O
HN O S
S 0.3 mol% Rh2(esp)2 HN O
H2N O
PhI(OAc)2, MgO R ZnCl
O
O CH2Cl2 O BF3·OEt2
Me OH
O 76% Me
Me
Me OTs
first generation total synthesis
NMbs
NMbs
O O
S H2N NH OH
H2N NH
HN O AgNO3 OH
11 steps NH2 i-PrNEt2 NH

OH MbsN
65% N NMbs
OTs MeS N H
H
NMbs
NMbs
O O
S H2N NH OH
H2N NH
HN O AgNO3 OH

OH MbsN
65% N NMbs
OTs MeS N H
H
NMbs NMbs
O
H2N NH NH2 O
1. Cl3CC(O)NCO NH2
OsCl3 HO HO
O
O NH2
2. K2CO3, MeOH oxone, Na2CO3
NH N NH
82% 62%, 12:1

N NMbs NH2+
H
NMbs
NMbs
O O
S H2N NH OH
H2N NH
HN O AgNO3 OH

OH MbsN
65% N NMbs
OTs MeS N H
H
NMbs NMbs
O
H2N NH NH2 O
1. Cl3CC(O)NCO NH2
OsCl3 HO HO
O
O NH2
2. K2CO3, MeOH oxone, Na2CO3
NH N NH
82% 62%, 12:1

N NMbs NH2+
H
+H
+H 2N
2N
O NH O
NH DMSO, DCC HO H
B(O2CCF3)3 HN HN
HO pyridine·TFA
NH2 HO O NH2
O
TFA, 0 °C to rt N NH
70% N NH
82% NH2+ (+)-saxitoxin

NH2+
20 steps
first generation recap
+H
2N
NH O
HO
HN
HO O NH2
N NH
NH2+
(+)-saxitoxin
■ Utilizing their C-H amination method in a total synthesis fostered the development of a better catalyst
■ The first enantioselective synthesis
■ Du Bois synthesis was longer than both the Kishi and Jacobi racemic syntheses (17 and 15 steps)
rethinking their original route
NMbs
O O
S H2N NH OH
HN O
11 steps NH2
OH MbsN
OTs MeS N
H
14 steps
rethinking their original route
NMbs
O O
S H2N NH OH
HN O
11 steps NH2
OH MbsN
OTs MeS N
H
14 steps
PMB OH
N
PMB O O
N
OTBDPS
NHBoc MeO OH
SMe H OTBDPS
NHBoc
NHBoc
N NMbs
H
N-Boc serine
methyl ester
14 step second generation total synthesis
PMB OH
N
alkyne
O
PMB O
N i-PrMgCl OTBDPS
MeO OH NHBoc
THF, -78 °C SMe
NHBoc 3 steps H OTBDPS
78%, 5:1 anti/syn
NHBoc N NMbs
H
N-Boc serine
methyl ester
NMbs
+H
2N
H2N NH
NH O
OH HO H
HN
HO O NH2
NH
6 steps 4 steps N NH
N NMbs
H NH2+
10 steps vs 16 steps (+)-saxitoxin
second generation recap
+H
2N
NH O
HO
HN
HO O NH2
N NH
NH2+
(+)-saxitoxin
■ Their second generation approach provided the most efficient synthesis of the (+)-saxitoxin
■ The second generation synthesis was scalable, preparing 5 g of the 9 membered ring
■ Provided enough material to initiate ion channel studies.

Saxitoxin as a Small Molecule Probe for Ion Channel Studies
■ Difficulty in chemically modifing natural saxitoxin limits its use as a small molecular probe
■ Through de novo total synthesis an array of diverse molecular probes can be synthesized readily
7,8,9-guanidine residue
proposed to bind the selectivity filter carbomyl group proposed to be H bond donor
Andersen, B. M.; Du Bois, J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 12524-12525.

initial question
■ Is the carbamate, specifically as an H-bond donor, important for saxitoxin binding the ion channel?
+H +H
2N 2N
NH O NH O
HO H HO H
HN HN Me
HO O NH2 HO O N
N NH N NH Me
NH2+ NH2+
(+)-saxitoxin N,N-dimethyl-(+)-saxitoxin
initial question
+H +H
2N 2N
NH O NH O
HO H HO H
HN HN Me
HO O NH2 HO O N
N NH N NH Me
NH2+ NH2+
■ Strategy: Remove the hydrogen bonds and measure the voltage across the ion channel
initial question
+H +H
2N 2N
NH O NH O
HO H HO H
HN HN Me
HO O NH2 HO O N
N NH N NH Me
NH2+ NH2+
■ Increasing conc. of both saxitoxin and N,N-dimethylsaxitoxin result in decreased peak current
carbomyl unit not likely a hydrogen bond donor

initial question
■ Do further modifications to the carbomyl unit effect binding?
R IC50 (nM)
C7H15 26 +/- 3
+H
2N i-Pr 83 +/- 13
NH O
HO H
HN R C6H12NH3+ 19 +/- 0.8
HO O N
N NH H C5H10CO2- 135 +/- 7
NH2+ O
N 87 +/- 9
H
■ Despite steric, electronic, and polar modifications, all retained activity within 1-1.5 orders of magnitude
■ Allowed for the installation of the first saxitoxin photoaffinity probe

additional modifications to the carbamate
■ Use of a carbamate tethered amine will allow installation of structurally complex payloads
■ Fluorogenic groups
■ Cofactors
■ Having access to synthetic saxitoxin should provide unique insights in ion channel structure and function
+H
+H 2N
2N
NH O
NH O p-FC6H4C(O)NHS HO H H
HO H HN N
HN NH3+ HO O N ( )5
HO O N ( )5
N NH H
N NH H F
CH3CN/H2O
NH2+
NH2 +
pH = 9.5
IC50 = 46 +/- 7 nm
O
O
N
O
O
F
p-FC6H4C(O)NHS
overview of saxitoxin synthesis
+H
2N
NH O
HO
HN
HO O NH2
N NH
NH2+
(+)-saxitoxin
■ Their initial synthesis enabled a very elegant and scalable synthesis of an important molecule
■ Application of their chemistry toward a total synthesis identified a better C-H amination catalyst
■ The result of their work enabled a new area of academic research on ion channels.
overview of saxitoxin synthesis
+H
2N
NH O
HO
HN
HO O NH2
N NH
NH2+
(+)-saxitoxin
■ Should total syntheses be used to apply methodology if the resulting initial synthesis isn’t the “best”?
■ Is post synthetic research becoming mainstream?

summary of themes from selected examples
■ Three molecules that highlight the perceived divisions for the modern role of total synthesis
■ Which natural products do we make?
■ All, some, any? Structurally interesting, biologically active?
■ The structure, method employed, lessons learned, or future prospects?
Me OH
Me
O HO
Me HO +H
O 2N
H O H H H
Me NH O
O O HO
O H OMe HN
Me
O HO HO O NH2
O
OH N NH
O HO O O H
H O
Me
OH O H NH2+
O OMe O
Cl Me
AcO
OAc
OH Me OH

final thoughts
■ Wender’s synthesis of resiniferatoxin
■ Which natural products to we make?
■ A tour de force synthesis is worth undertaking if the target is important and the goal of the
research is to understand the SAR of the molecule to provide new therapeutic leads
■ The structure and future prospects are what drives the value in these types of syntheses
Me OH
Me
O HO
Me HO +H
O 2N
H O H H H
Me NH O
O O HO
O H OMe HN
Me
O HO HO O NH2
O
OH N NH
O HO O O H
H O
Me
OH O H NH2+
O OMe O
Cl Me
AcO
OAc
OH Me OH

final thoughts
■ Smiths synthesis of spongistatin 1
■ Focused efforts toward very complex and important molecules offer a testing ground for
synthetic methods and provided multiple opportunities for post total synthesis research
■ The structure, method employed, lessons learned, and future prospects all provided value
Me OH
Me
O HO
Me HO +H
O 2N
H O H H H
Me NH O
O O HO
O H OMe HN
Me
O HO HO O NH2
O
OH N NH
O HO O O H
H O
Me
OH O H NH2+
O OMe O
Cl Me
AcO
OAc
OH Me OH

final thoughts
■ Du Bois synthesis of saxitoxin
■ Focused efforts toward very complex and important molecules often leads to improvements
in synthetic methods and provide opportunities for post total synthesis research
■ Methods employed, lessons learned, and future prospects drove the value of this program
Me OH
Me
O HO
Me HO +H
O 2N
H O H H H
Me NH O
O O HO
O H OMe HN
Me
O HO HO O NH2
O
OH N NH
O HO O O H
H O
Me
OH O H NH2+
O OMe O
Cl Me
AcO
OAc
OH Me OH

final thoughts
■ All three examples entailed focused research programs directed toward a single natural product
■ They all provided additional supplies of valuable targets that initiated further research
■ They all encountered pitfalls in synthetic strategies that facilitated future focused efforts
■ They all generated an improved synthetic transformation or method for fragment synthesis
Me OH
Me
O HO
Me HO +H
O 2N
H O H H H
Me NH O
O O HO
O H OMe HN
Me
O HO HO O NH2
O
OH N NH
O HO O O H
H O
Me
OH O H NH2+
O OMe O
Cl Me
AcO
OAc
OH Me OH

final thoughts
■ Powerful new methods will continue to push toward the ideal total synthesis
Me Bn O H
H N
N Me
S N
O
N S O
H Me
OAc O H H Me
N O S N
Bn O CO2H H H
N S
O CO2H
O O N Me
Me HO2C H H
OH H O

final thoughts
■ Focused efforts toward a single natural product will continue to be a productive area of research
Me OH
Me
O HO
Me HO +H
O 2N
H O H H H
Me NH O
O O HO
O H OMe HN
Me
O HO HO O NH2
O
OH N NH
O HO O O H
H O
Me
OH O H NH2+
O OMe O
Cl Me
AcO
OAc
OH Me OH
new areas of research

final thoughts
■ Focused efforts toward a single natural product will continue to be a productive area of research
Last total syntheses to be published in Science

O H
OAc H N
Me Me
Me OH NMe2
Me H H H S N
Me
OH N S O
H
Me
NH2 Me
Me OH O S N
OH N S
OH O OH O O
O HO OH N H Me
H O
prostratin (Wender) (-)-doxycycline (Myers) dideoxyverticillin A (Movassaghi)
new areas of research

final thoughts
■ Groups that undertake impractical syntheses of many different targets will become irrelevant
final thoughts
■ These sentiments are being increasingly observed across the spectrum of total synthesis
■ More focused efforts toward fewer targets is likely the future of total synthesis
OH
Me Me
HO Me
OR
MeO2C O HO
HO
O
O O H H H
OAc Me
OH O O O
Me H OMe
O H
O O HO
OH O
Me O O AcO OH
H O H
Me H O
H Me
OH O H
RO Me OH Me Me O
Cl Me
AcO
CO2Me OAc
bryostatin 1 macfarlandin Me OH spongistatin 1
final thoughts
K. C. Nicolaou (1976) Paul Wender (1976) Dale Boger Stuart Schreiber

R
Me Me
HO O Cl
OR
MeO2C O O
OAc
O O Me
Me Me HO OH
OH Cl O O
O H H H H
O N N N
OH N N N Me
Me O O Me OH H H H
Me HN O O O Me
RO Me OH O HO OH HO2C
NH2 Me
CO2Me OH
HO OH
bryostatin 1 prostratin vancomycin
final thoughts
Me
Me Me
Me OH NMe2
H H H Me
OH H
Me H
NH2
OH H
OH O OH O O
HO
doxycyclin cholesterol
final thoughts
+H
2N Me OMe O OMe
NH O OH
HO N
HN H H
HO O NH2 OH O Me
Me Me
N NH H Me
HO
NH2+ H
O OH
HO irciniastatin A
saxitoxin (Du Bois)
Me (Floreancig, De Brabander)
OH O
Me O
OH HO
Me
O OH
H Me H OH OH
N Me O OH
H
H H
HO O OH OH OH OH O O
N Me
H Me H
OH
Me
OO O O Me
O
OH
Me cephalostatin 1 (Shair) amphotericin B (Burke) HO OH
Me
NH2
final thoughts
■ If the overall goal is for chemistry to benefit society and if natural products are to play a role...
■ Continuing to strive for new reactions will deliver increasingly complex targets in short order
■ Applying methods in complex settings will lead to better and more useful methods
■ Focused efforts toward fewer targets will lead to better targets and more active areas of research
■ Whether or not total synthesis directly benefits society, and thus it’s future, depends on the targets we
choose and what we choose to do with those targets...
final thoughts
■ If the overall goal is for chemistry to benefit society and if natural products are to play a role...
■ Continuing to strive for new reactions will deliver increasingly complex targets in short order
■ Applying methods in complex settings will lead to better and more useful methods
■ Focused efforts toward fewer targets will lead to better targets and more active areas of research
■ Whether or not total synthesis directly benefits society, and thus it’s future, depends on the targets we
choose and what we choose to do with those targets...
which is entirely up to us

JMS Future

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JMS Future

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The Future of Total Synthesis

■ The intent of presentation is to:

■ Discuss a brief history of total synthesis for the purpose of context

■ It all began with urea...

■ Camphor was a scarce natural product with a worldwide demand

■ Important milestone in synthetic organic chemistry

■ Ushered in the modern era of total synthesis

Woodward, R. B.; Doering, W. E. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1944, 66: 849-849.

Potential Societal Impact Assist Structural Identification Inspire New Methods

originally proposed skeleton

Potential Societal Impact Assist Structural Identification Inspire New Methods

originally proposed skeleton

■ Use insights from these examples to look toward the future

Potential Societal Impact Assist Structural Identification Inspire New Methods

originally proposed skeleton

Also: Phil Magnus, James Marshall, Albert Padwa, James White

■ Equipped with the knowledge that complex molecules can be made

Syntheses completed by 1972

Strychnine - Woodward Prostaglandin - Corey

Reserpine - Woodward Progesterone - W. S. Johnson

Also: Phil Magnus, James Marshall, Albert Padwa, James White

■ Equipped with the knowledge that complex molecules can be made

■ Only a limited selection of reliable “synthons”

cytovaricin (Evans 1990)

Magnus, Overman, Padwa (Woodward)

endiandric acids A-D

Crimmins, M. T. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 10249-10250.

■ During their careers the “synthetic toolkit” had expanded drastically

■ New transformations provided increased access to exceptionally complicated structures

brevetoxin A (Nicolaou 1998, Crimmins 2008)

■ During their careers the “synthetic toolkit” had expanded drastically

taxol (Nicolaou 1994, Wender 1997)

most synthetic efforts largely focused on accessing the desired target

■ Constructed molecules of incredible complexity with innovative methods

■ Continued the traditions of building molecules of incredible complexity

■ Continued the traditions of building molecules of incredible complexity

tetracycline (Myers 2005)

■ In 1990 Corey wins the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the...

“...development of the theory and methodology of organic synthesis”.

Trost B. M. Science 1991 254, 1471-1477.

46 steps 55 steps 49 steps 37 steps

Vilotijevic, I.; Jamison, T. J. Science 2007 317, 1189-1192

Kim, J.; Ashenhurst, J. A.; Movassaghi, M. Science 2011 324, 238-241.

■ Greater emphasis on striving for an “ideal synthesis”

■ Total synthesis is starting to become an auxiliary function of new research in chemistry

zaragozic acid C strychnine (+)-11,11’-dideoxyverticillin A

■ Two syntheses are of molecules with promising bioactivity

zaragozic acid C strychnine (+)-11,11’-dideoxyverticillin A

zaragozic acid C strychnine (+)-11,11’-dideoxyverticillin A

zaragozic acid C strychnine (+)-11,11’-dideoxyverticillin A

■ These represent premier total syntheses for our time

■ Which natural products do we make?

■ All, some, any? Structurally interesting, biologically active?

■ What holds more value?

■ The structure, method employed, lessons learned, or future prospects?

resiniferatoxin spongistatin 1 (+)-saxitoxin

■ Resiniferatoxin has advanced into Phase II clinical trials

■ Total synthesis featured 46 stop and go steps, tour de force

10 steps from tartrate revised cycloadduct original cycloadduct

general precursor (22 steps) 1 2 3

PKC affinity, Ki (nM)a Cellular growth inhibition

■ Carries the potential for treatment of cancer, alzheimers, and AIDS.

general precursor (22 steps) 1 2 3

PKC affinity, Ki (nM)a Cellular growth inhibition