Alkaloid Synthesis: (–)-α-Kainic Acid (Cohen), Hyacinthacine A2 (Fox), (–)-Agelastatin A (Hamada), (+)-Luciduline (Barbe), (+)-Lunarine (Fan), (–)-Runanine (Herzon)

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglass F. Taber
Keyword(s):  
Kainic Acid ◽  
Aldol Condensation ◽  
Catalyst System ◽  
Diels Alder ◽  
Yale University ◽  
University Of Pittsburgh ◽  
Agelastatin A ◽  
Alkaloid Synthesis ◽  
Carbocyclic Rings ◽  
The University

The intramolecular ene cyclization is still little used in organic synthesis. Theodore Cohen of the University of Pittsburgh trapped (J. Org. Chem. 2011, 76, 7912) the cyclization product from 1 with iodine to give 2, setting the stage for an enantiospecific total synthesis of (–)-α-kainic acid 3. Intramolecular alkene hydroamination has been effected with transition metal catalysts. Joseph M. Fox of the University of Delaware isomerized (Chem. Sci. 2011, 2, 2162) 4 to the trans cyclooctene 5 with high diastereocontrol. Deprotection of the amine led to spontaneous cyclization, again with high diastereocontrol to hyacinthacine A2 6. Yasumasa Hamada of Chiba University devised (Org. Lett. 2011, 13, 5744) a catalyst system for the enantioselective aziridination of cyclopentenone 7. The product 8 was carried on to the tricyclic alkaloid (–)-agelastatin A 9. Guillaume Barbe, now at Novartis in Cambridge, MA, effected (J. Org. Chem. 2011, 76, 5354) the enantioselective Diels-Alder cycloaddition of acrolein 11 to the dihydropyridine 10. Ring-opening ring-closing metathesis later formed one of the carbocyclic rings of (+)-luciduline 13, and set the stage for an intramolecular aldol condensation to form the other. Chun-An Fan of Lanzhou University employed (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 8161) a Cinchona-derived catalyst for the enantioselective Michael addition to prepare 14. Although 14 and 15 were only prepared in 77% ee, crystallization to remove the racemic component of a later intermediate led to (+)-lunarine 16 in high ee. Seth B. Herzon of Yale University used (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 8863) the enantioselective Diels-Alder addition with 18 to block one face of the quinone 17. Reduction of 19 followed by methylation delivered an iminium salt, only one face of which was open for the addition of an aryl acetylide. Thermolysis to remove the cyclopentadiene gave an intermediate that was carried on to (+)-runanine 20.

Alkaloid Synthesis: (-)-Aurantioclavine (Stoltz), (-)-Esermethole (Nakao/Hiyama/ Ogoshi), (-)-Kainic Acid (Tomooka), Dasycarpidone (Bennasar), (-)-Cephalotaxine (Ishibashi) and Lysergic Acid (Fujii/Ohno)

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglass Taber
Keyword(s):  
Kainic Acid ◽  
Absolute Configuration ◽  
Lysergic Acid ◽  
Ni Catalyst ◽  
Cascade Cyclization ◽  
Alkaloid Synthesis ◽  
Radical Cascade ◽  
The Absolute ◽  
The University ◽  
Stereogenic Center

Intriguing strategies have been developed for the stereocontrolled assembly of complex alkaloid structures. Brian M. Stoltz of Caltech prepared (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 13745) the enantiomerically-pure alcohol precursor to the secondary amine 1 by enantioselective oxidation of the racemic alcohol. Intramolecular Mitsunobu coupling of 1 then led to (-)-Aurantioclavine 3. Yoshiaki Nakao and Tamejiro Hiyama of Kyoto University and Sensuke Ogoshi of Osaka University developed (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 12874) an enantioselective Ni catalyst for the cyclization of 4 to 5. Oxidation and cyclization then delivered (-)-Esermethole 6. Although the sulfonamide 7 appears to be prochiral, in fact its two most stable conformations are bent, and enantiomers of each other, with a significant barrier for interconversion. Katsuhiko Tomooka of Kyushu University separated (Tetrahedron Lett. 2008, 49, 6327) the enantiomers of 7, then carried the enantiomercially-pure 7 on, by Pd-catalyzed Cope rearrangement, to 8 and so to (-)-Kainic Acid 9. M.-Lluïsa Bennasar of the University of Barcelona prepared (J. Org. Chem. 2008, 73, 9033) the acyl selenide 11 from the indole 10. While the radical derived from 11 might have been expected to undergo 5-exo cyclization, in the event the 6-endo mode dominated, to give Dasycarpidone 12 and its diastereomer. Hiroyuki Ishibashi of Kanazawa University showed (Organic Lett. 2008, 10, 4129) that the radical cascade cyclization of the enamine 13, derived from diethyl tartrate, proceeded with remarkable diastereocontrol, to give 14. The amide 14 was converted to (-)-Cephalotaxine 15. Nobutaka Fujii and Hiroaki Ohno, also of Kyoto University, used (Organic Lett. 2008, 10, 5239) a Pd catalyst to mediate the cascade cyclization of 16 to 17. Although 16 has two stereogenic centers, including the allene, it is the aminated stereogenic center of 17 that sets the absolute configuration of the product Lysergic Acid 18. One intermediate in the conversion of 16 to the tetracyclic 17 is the tricyclic π-allyl Pd complex. If all the material could be channeled through that pathway, there is a good chance that the chiral Trost catalyst could effectively control the absolute configuration of the aminated stereogenic center as it is formed, leading to the enantiomerically enriched product 18.

Oxidation and Reduction

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglass F. Taber
Keyword(s):  
Aryl Halide ◽  
Direct Reduction ◽  
University Of California ◽  
Yale University ◽  
University Of Pittsburgh ◽  
Ru Catalyst ◽  
Efficient Reduction ◽  
Radical Reduction ◽  
The University ◽  
Mediated Reduction

Kiyotomi Kaneda of Osaka University devised (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2010, 49, 5545) gold nanoparticles that efficiently deoxygenated an epoxide 1 to the alkene 2. Robert G. Bergman of the University of California, Berkeley, and Jonathan A. Ellman, now of Yale University, reported (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 11408) a related protocol for deoxygenating 1,2-diols. Dennis A. Dougherty of Caltech established (Org. Lett. 2010, 12, 3990) that an acid chloride 3 could be reduced to the phosphonate 4. Pei-Qiang Huang of Xiamen University effected (Synlett 2010, 1829) reduction of an amide 5 by activation with Tf2O followed by reduction with NaBH4. André B. Charette of the Université de Montreal described (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 12817) parallel results with Tf2O/Et3SiH. David Milstein of the Weizmann Institute of Science devised (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 16756) a Ru catalyst for the alternative reduction of an amide 7 to the amine 8 and the alcohol 9. Shi-Kai Tian of the University of Science and Technology of China effected (Chem. Commun. 2010, 46, 6180) reduction of a benzylic sulfonamide 10 to the hydrocarbon 11. Thirty years ago, S. Yamamura of Nagoya University reported (Chem. Commun. 1967, 1049) the efficient reduction of a ketone to the corresponding methylene with Zn/HCl. Hirokazu Arimoto of Tohoku University established (Tetrahedron Lett. 2010, 51, 4534) that a modified Zn/TMSCl protocol could be used following ozonolysis to effect conversion of an alkene 12 to the methylene 13. José Barluenga and Carlos Valdés of the Universidad de Oviedo effected (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2010, 49, 4993) reduction of a ketone to the ether 16 by way of the tosylhydrazone 14. Kyoko Nozaki and Makoto Yamashita of the University of Tokyo and Dennis P. Curran of the University of Pittsburgh found (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 11449) that the hydride 18 (actually a complex dimer) could effect the direct reduction of a halide 17 and also function as the hydrogen atom donor for free radical reduction and as the hydride donor for the Pd-mediated reduction of an aryl halide.

Diels–Alder Cycloaddition: Pancratistatin (Cho), Nootkatone (Reddy), Platensimycin (Zhang/Lee), Scabronine G (Nakada), Isoglaziovianol (Trauner)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglass F. Taber
Keyword(s):  
Aldol Condensation ◽  
Diels Alder ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Columbia University ◽  
National Chemical Laboratory ◽  
Chemical Laboratory ◽  
Intramolecular Cycloaddition ◽  
Enantiomerically Pure ◽  
Peking University ◽  
The University

Samuel J. Danishefsky of Columbia University and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center made (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2013, 110, 10904) the unexpected obser­vation that methylation of the enolate derived from conjugate addition to the readily-prepared 1 followed by intramolecular alkene metathesis led to the trans fused ketone 2. This can be contrasted to the diastereo- and regioisomer 3, the product from Diels-Alder cycloaddition of 2-methylcyclohexenone to isoprene. The trans ring fusion of 2 is particularly significant because ozonolysis followed by aldol condensation would deliver the angularly-methylated trans-fused 6/5 C–D ring system of the steroids and related natural products. Cheon-Gyu Cho of Hanyang University added (Org. Lett. 2013, 15, 5806) the activated dienophile 4 to the dienyl lactone to give, after oxidation, the dibro­mide 5. Debromination followed by oxidation led to the antineoplastic lactam pancratistatin 6. D. Srinivasa Reddy of CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory Pune devised (J. Org. Chem. 2013, 78, 8149) a cascade protocol of Diels-Alder cycloaddition of 8 to the diene 7, followed by intramolecular aldol condensation, to give the enone 9. Oxidative manipulation followed by methylenation completed the synthesis of the commercially important grapefruit flavor nootkatone 10. Xinhao Zhang and Chi-Sing Lee of the Peking University Shenzen Graduate School uncovered (J. Org. Chem. 2013, 78, 7912) another cascade transformation, intermolecular addition of 11 to 12 followed by intramolecular Conia-ene cyclization, to give the tricyclic 13. Further manipulation led to an established intermediate for the total synthesis of platensimycin 14. Masahisa Nakada of Waseda University prepared (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013, 52, 7569) the enantiomerically-pure allene 15. Oxidation of the phenol to the monoketal of the cyclohexadienone set the stage for intramolecular cycloaddition to give 16. Oxidative cleavage followed by intramolecular alkene metathesis led to (+)-scabronine G 17. Dirk Trauner of the University of Munich assembled (Org. Lett. 2013, 15, 4324) the enantiomerically-pure alcohol 18. Oxidation gave the quinone, leading to intra­molecular Diels–Alder cycloaddition. The free alcohol then added to the exocyclic alkene of that product, to give, after further oxidation, the ether 19. Deprotection fol­lowed by reduction then completed the synthesis of (−)-isoglaziovianol 20.

Heterocycle Construction: The Chang Synthesis of Louisianin C

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglass Taber
Keyword(s):  
Acid Chloride ◽  
Diels Alder ◽  
Heinrich Heine ◽  
University Of Pittsburgh ◽  
Medical College ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Mcgill University ◽  
Acid Catalyzed ◽  
The University ◽  
Indole Synthesis

It has been known for some time that an acid chloride 1 can be added to an alkyne 2 to give the β-chloro enone. Yasushi Tsuji of Kyoto University found (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 6668) that with an Ir catalyst, the condensation of 1 with 2 could be directed to the furan 3. Huanfeng Jiang of the South China University of Technology described (Organic Lett. 2009, 11, 1931) a complementary route to furans, Cu-mediated condensation of a propargyl alcohol 4 with the diester 5 to give 6. Bruce A. Arndtsen of McGill University developed (Organic Lett. 2009, 11, 1369) an approach to pyrroles such as 9, by condensation of an α,β-unsaturated α-cyano imine 7 with the acid chloride 8. Thomas J. J. Müller of Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf observed (Organic Lett. 2009, 11, 2269) the condensation of an acid chloride 11 with a propargyl amine 10, leading to the iodo pyrrole 12. John A. Murphy of the University of Strathclyde uncovered (Tetrahedron Lett. 2009, 50, 3290) a new entry to the Fischer indole synthesis, by Petasis homologation of a hydrazide 13. Dali Yin of Peking Union Medical College took advantage (Organic Lett. 2009, 11, 637) of the easy sequential displacement of the fluorides of 15, leading, after acid-catalyzed cyclization, to the indole 17. Kang Zhao of Tianjin University extended (Organic Lett. 2009, 11, 2417; Organic Lett. 2009, 11, 2643) his studies of oxidation of an enamine 18 to the 2H -azirine, that on heating cyclized to the indole 19. Peter Wipf of the University of Pittsburgh established (Chem. Commun. 2009, 104) a microwave-promoted indole synthesis, illustrated by the intramolecular Diels-Alder cyclization of 20 to 21. A review delineating all nine types of indole syntheses will appear shortly in Angewandte Chemie . Fushun Liang and Qun Liu of Northeast Normal University demonstrated (J. Org. Chem. 2009, 74, 899) that the readily-prepared ketene thioacetal 22 condensed with NH3 to give the pyridine 23. Sundaresan Prabhakar and Ana M. Lobo of the New University of Lisbon observed (Tetrahedron Lett. 2009, 50, 3446) that the addition of the alkoxy propargyl amine to the alkyne 25 gave a Z alkene, that on warming rearranged to the pyridine 26.

An Extraordinary Man, An Extraordinary Historian

2012 ◽  
Vol 82 ◽  
pp. 50-50
Author(s):  
Andrea Graziosi
Keyword(s):  
Republican Party ◽  
Political Commitment ◽  
Yale University ◽  
Skilled Worker ◽  
University Of Pittsburgh ◽  
Western Government ◽  
Trade Unionist ◽  
The University ◽  
Political Success ◽  
American Labor

David Montgomery was both an extraordinary man and an extraordinary historian. All one needs to do is look at his autobiographical interview, which appeared in Visions of History in 1983, to know this. I had the good fortune of studying and then collaborating with David from 1979 at the University of Pittsburgh until the late 1990s at Yale University. While he had been recruited to Yale in the wake of the academic and political success of his Workers' Control in America, in my view his most beautiful book remains his first, Beyond Equality. Told with passion, intelligence, and an impressive richness of detail, it is the remarkable story of American labor and the Left immediately after the Civil War. At that time, the Republican Party, led by a friend of Marx, pursued arguably the most progressive policies of any Western government in history, embodying that world of free labor and social and racial equality, which had emerged victorious from the war against slavery. David discovered and reconstructed this world, with its special blend of liberty and justice, after having spent ten years as a skilled worker and communist trade unionist in the factories of the 1950s. During that period, he shared his political commitment with his radiant wife, Marty, who was from a large African American communist family in Chicago. In fact, the two met on a ship that was carrying both of them to the World Youth Congress in Prague.

Alkaloid Synthesis: (−)-α-Kainic Acid (Ohshima), Serpentine (Scheidt), (−)-Galanthamine ( Jia), (+)-Trigolutes B (Gong), Sarain A (Yokoshima/Fukuyama), DZ-2384 (Harran)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglass F. Taber
Keyword(s):  
Kainic Acid ◽  
Absolute Configuration ◽  
Diazonamide A ◽  
Antimitotic Activity ◽  
Alkaloid Synthesis ◽  
Northwestern University ◽  
Peking University ◽  
The Absolute ◽  
Sarain A ◽  
The University

(−)-α-Kainic acid 3 is widely used in neuropharmacological studies. En route to 3, Takashi Ohshima of Kyushu University found (Chem. Eur. J. 2015, 21, 3937) that the intramolecular ene cyclization of 1 delivered 2 with high diastereocontrol. Karl A. Scheidt of Northwestern University set (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 6900) the absolute configuration of 5 and so of serpentine 6 by the organocatalyzed cyclization of 4. This is the first total synthesis of that alkaloid. Yanxing Jia of Peking University prepared (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 6255) the benzofuran 8 by the Pd-mediated cyclization of the alkyne 7. An organo­catalyzed intermolecular Michael addition set the absolute configuration of (−)-galanthamine 9. Liu-Zhu Gong of the University of Science and Technology of China assem­bled (Chem. Eur. J. 2015, 21, 8389) (+)-trigolutes B 13 by the organocatalyzed addition of 10 to 11 to give 12. Barry M. Trost of Stanford University employed (Chem. Sci. 2015, 6, 349) a similar strategy in a synthesis of (−)-perophoramidine (not illustrated). Satoshi Yokoshima and Tohru Fukuyama of Nagoya University showed (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 7367) that on deprotection, 14 was converted to an eight-membered cyclic nitrone, that further cyclized to 15. This set the stage for the synthesis of sarain A 16. Patrick G. Harran of UCLA has extensively studied the complex alkaloid (−)-diazonamide A (not illustrated). Structural simplification and optimization of antimitotic activity led to the macrolactam DZ-2384 18. It is exciting that 18 could be prepared (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 4818) on a multigram scale by selective electrochemical oxidation of the much simpler precursor 17.

Stereocontrolled Construction of Arrays of Stereogenic Centers: The Mullins Synthesis of (-)-Lasiol

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglass F. Taber
Keyword(s):  
Aldol Condensation ◽  
Catalyst System ◽  
Geometric Isomer ◽  
Ni Catalyst ◽  
University Of Texas ◽  
Enantioselective Epoxidation ◽  
Institute Of Technology ◽  
Tandem Cyclization ◽  
Catalyst Systems ◽  
The University

Hisashi Yamamoto of the University of Chicago devised (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 7878) catalyst systems for the enantioselective epoxidation of a Z -homoallylic alcohol 1. Michael J. Krische of the University of Texas developed (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 1760) a catalyst system for the highly stereoselective addition of the vinyl acetal 5 to an aldehyde 4. Joëlle Prunet of the University of Glasgow showed (Tetrahedron Lett. 2010, 51, 256) that the tandem cyclization/Julia olefination from 7 also proceeded with high stereocontrol. Professor Yamamoto established (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 5354) that depending on conditions, the aldol condensation of 10 could be directed selectively toward either diastereomer of the product 12. James M. Takacs of the University of Nebraska effected (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 1740) the enantioselective hydroboration of 10. The other geometric isomer of 10 gave the alternative diastereomer of 12, also with high ee. John Limanto and Shane W. Krska of Merck Process optimized (Organic Lett . 2010, 12, 512) the dynamic kinetic reduction of 13 , giving 14 with excellent diastereocontrol. Professor Krische extended (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 4562) his reductive homologation to the (racemic) carbonate 15, delivering 16 with excellent dr and ee. Hirokazu Urabe of the Tokyo Institute of Technology showed (Organic Lett. 2010, 12, 1012) that a Grignard reagent under iron catalysis opened the epoxide 17, readily available by Jørgensen-Cordova epoxidation followed by homologation, with clean inversion and high regiocontrol. Fraser F. Fleming of Duquesne University developed (Organic Lett. 2010, 12, 3030) a general route to quaternary alkylated centers by alkylation of nitriles such as 19. Shigeki Matsunaga and Masakatsu Shibasaki of the University of Tokyo devised (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 3666) a Ni catalyst for the stereoselective conjugate addition of the lactam 22 to a nitroalkene 21. Aldehydes can also be added to nitroalkenes with high dr and ee, as illustrated by the conversion of 24 to 26 reported (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 50) by Bukuo Ni of Texas A&M University, Commerce.

Alkaloid Synthesis: (+)-Deoxoprosopinine (Krishna), Alkaloid (–)-205B (Micalizio), FR901483 (Huang), (+)-Ibophyllidine (Kwon), (–)-Lycoposerramine-S (Fukuyama), (±)-Crinine (Lautens)

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglass F. Taber
Keyword(s):  
Aldol Condensation ◽  
Indian Institute ◽  
Chiral Auxiliary ◽  
Full Account ◽  
Ene Reaction ◽  
Alkaloid Synthesis ◽  
Stereogenic Centers ◽  
Sequential Addition ◽  
Vinyl Group ◽  
The University

Palakodety Radha Krishna of the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology observed (Synlett 2012, 2814) high stereocontrol in the addition of allyltrimethylsilane to the cyclic imine derived from 1. The product piperidine 2 was carried onto (+)-deoxoprosopinine 3. Glenn C. Micalizio of Scripps Florida condensed (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 15237) the amine 4 with 5. The ensuing intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition led to 6, which was carried onto the Dendrobates alkaloid (–)-205B 7. Pei-Qiang Huang of Xiamen University showed (Org. Lett. 2012, 14, 4834) that the quaternary center of 9 could be established with high diastereoselectivity by activation of the lactam 8, then sequential addition of two different Grignard reagents. Subsequent stereoselective intramolecular aldol condensation led to FR901843 10. More recently, Professor Huang, with Hong-Kui Zhang, also of Xiamen University, published (J. Org. Chem. 2013, 78, 455) a full account of this work. In an elegant application of the power of phosphine-catalyzed intermolecular allene cycloaddition, Ohyun Kwon of UCLA added (Chem. Sci. 2012, 3, 2510) 12 to the imine 11 to give 13. The cyclization elegantly set two of the four stereogenic centers of (+)-ibophyllidine 14. Tohru Fukuyama of the University of Tokyo initiated (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2012, 51, 11824) a cascade cyclization between the enone 15 and the chiral auxiliary 16. The product lactam 17 was carried onto (–)-lycoposerramine-S 18. Mark Lautens explored (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 15572) the utility of the intramolecular aryne ene reaction, as illustrated by the cyclization of 19 to 20. Oxidation cleavage of the vinyl group of 20 followed by an intramolecular carbonyl ene reaction led to (±)-crinine 21.

Adventures in Alkaloid Synthesis: ( + )-α-Kainic Acid (Jung), 223AB (Ma), Pumiliotoxin 251F (Jamison), Spirotryprostatin B (Trost), (-)-Drupacine (Stoltz)

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglass Taber
Keyword(s):  
Kainic Acid ◽  
Enantiomeric Excess ◽  
Oxidative Cyclization ◽  
Substantial Contribution ◽  
University Of Southern California ◽  
Alkaloid Synthesis ◽  
Stereogenic Centers ◽  
Cu Catalyst ◽  
Natural Amino Acids ◽  
The University

Enantiomerically-pure natural amino acids can serve as starting materials for alkaloid synthesis. In his synthesis (J. Org. Chem. 2007, 72, 10114) of (-)-α-kainic acid 3, Kyung Woon Jung of the University of Southern California prepared the diazo sulfone 1 from (L)-glutamic acid. Rh-mediated intramolecular C-H insertion proceeded with the predicted high diastereoselectivity, to give the lactam 2, containing seven of the ten carbon atoms and two of the three stereogenic centers of (-)-α-kainic acid 3. The absolute configuration of the nitrogen ring system(s) can also be established by chiral catalysis. Dawei Ma of the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry has developed (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 9300) a chiral Cu catalyst that mediated the addition of alkynyl esters and ketones to the prochiral acylated pyridine 4 in high enantiomeric excess. The dihydro-pyridines (e.g. 5) so produced will be versatile starting materials both for alkaloid synthesis, as illustrated by the preparation of the Dendrobatid alkaloid 223AB 6, and for the production of pharmaceuticals. In his synthesis of the Dentrobatid alkaloid pumiliotoxin 251D 9, Timothy F. Jamison took (J. Org. Chem. 2007, 72, 7451) as his starting material another amino acid, proline. Ni-mediated cyclization of the epoxide 8 proceeded with high geometric and regiocontrol, to give 9. The chemistry to convert 7 into 8 with high diastereocontrol and without racemization is a substantial contribution that will have many other applications. In his synthesis (Organic Lett. 2007, 9, 2763) of spirotryprostatin B 12, Barry M. Trost of Stanford University also started with proline, which was readily elaborated to the oxindole 10. The question was, could the Pd-catalyzed decarboxylation of 10 be induced to provide specifically 11? Counting geometric isomers of the trisubstituted alkene, and allylic regioisomers, as well as diastereomers, there were sixteen possible products from this prenylation. Using chiral Pd control, the rearrangement proceeded with 14:1 regiocontrol, and 16:1 diasterocontrol. Oxidative cyclization of 11 then delivered spirotryprostatin B 12. The Cephalotaxus alkaloid (-)-drupacine 19 has five stereogenic centers, including four of the five positions on the cyclopentane ring.

The Center for International Biomedical Communications Research

1966 ◽  
Vol 05 (03) ◽  
pp. 142-146
Author(s):  
A. Kent ◽  
P. J. Vinken
Keyword(s):  
Information Needs ◽  
English Language ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Biomedical Literature ◽  
Information Storage ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
University Of Pittsburgh ◽  
The World ◽  
The University ◽  
Excerpta Medica Foundation

A joint center has been established by the University of Pittsburgh and the Excerpta Medica Foundation. The basic objective of the Center is to seek ways in which the health sciences community may achieve increasingly convenient and economical access to scientific findings. The research center will make use of facilities and resources of both participating institutions. Cooperating from the University of Pittsburgh will be the School of Medicine, the Computation and Data Processing Center, and the Knowledge Availability Systems (KAS) Center. The KAS Center is an interdisciplinary organization engaging in research, operations, and teaching in the information sciences.Excerpta Medica Foundation, which is the largest international medical abstracting service in the world, with offices in Amsterdam, New York, London, Milan, Tokyo and Buenos Aires, will draw on its permanent medical staff of 54 specialists in charge of the 35 abstracting journals and other reference works prepared and published by the Foundation, the 700 eminent clinicians and researchers represented on its International Editorial Boards, and the 6,000 physicians who participate in its abstracting programs throughout the world. Excerpta Medica will also make available to the Center its long experience in the field, as well as its extensive resources of medical information accumulated during the Foundation’s twenty years of existence. These consist of over 1,300,000 English-language _abstract of the world’s biomedical literature, indexes to its abstracting journals, and the microfilm library in which complete original texts of all the 3,000 primary biomedical journals, monitored by Excerpta Medica in Amsterdam are stored since 1960.The objectives of the program of the combined Center include: (1) establishing a firm base of user relevance data; (2) developing improved vocabulary control mechanisms; (3) developing means of determining confidence limits of vocabulary control mechanisms in terms of user relevance data; 4. developing and field testing of new or improved media for providing medical literature to users; 5. developing methods for determining the relationship between learning and relevance in medical information storage and retrieval systems’; and (6) exploring automatic methods for retrospective searching of the specialized indexes of Excerpta Medica.The priority projects to be undertaken by the Center are (1) the investigation of the information needs of medical scientists, and (2) the development of a highly detailed Master List of Biomedical Indexing Terms. Excerpta Medica has already been at work on the latter project for several years.

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