General Synthetic Approach to Diverse Taxane Cores

J Am Chem Soc. 2022 Nov 23;144(46):21398-21407. doi: 10.1021/jacs.2c10272. Epub 2022 Nov 8.

Abstract

Chemical synthesis of natural products is typically inspired by the structure and function of a target molecule. When both factors are of interest, such as in the case of taxane diterpenoids, a synthesis can both serve as a platform for synthetic strategy development and enable new biological exploration. Guided by this paradigm, we present here a unified enantiospecific approach to diverse taxane cores from the feedstock monoterpenoid (S)-carvone. Key to the success of our approach was the use of a skeletal remodeling strategy which began with the divergent reorganization and convergent coupling of two carvone-derived fragments, facilitated by Pd-catalyzed C-C bond cleavage tactics. This coupling was followed by additional restructuring using a Sm(II)-mediated rearrangement and a bioinspired, visible-light induced, transannular [2 + 2] photocycloaddition. Overall, this divergent monoterpenoid remodeling/convergent fragment coupling approach to complex diterpenoid synthesis provides access to structurally disparate taxane cores which have set the stage for the preparation of a wide range of taxanes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Monoterpenes*
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Taxoids*

Substances

  • carvone
  • taxane
  • Taxoids
  • Monoterpenes