Lomaiviticins A and B are complex antitumor antibiotics that were isolated from a strain of Micromonospora. A confluence of several unusual structural features renders the lomaiviticins exceedingly challenging targets for chemical synthesis. We report an 11-step, enantioselective synthetic route to lomaiviticin aglycon. Our route proceeds by late-stage, stereoselective dimerization of two equivalent monomeric intermediates, a transformation that may share parallels with the natural products’ biosyntheses. The route we describe is scalable and convergent, and it lays the foundation for determination of the mode of action of these natural products.

The development of enantioselective synthetic routes to (–)-kinamycin F (9) and (–)-lomaiviticin aglycon (6) is described. The diazotetrahydrobenzo[b]fluorene (diazofluorene) functional group of the targets was prepared by fluoride-mediated coupling of a β-trimethylsilylmethyl-α,β-unsaturated ketone (38) with an oxidized naphthoquinone (19), palladium-catalyzed cyclization (39→37), and diazo transfer (37→53). The D-ring precursors 60 and 68 were prepared from m-cresol and 3-ethylphenol, respectively. Coupling of the β-trimethylsilylmethyl-α,β-unsaturated ketone 60 with the juglone derivative 61, cyclization, and diazo transfer, provided the advanced diazofluorene 63, which was elaborated to (–)-kinamycin F (9) in three steps. The diazofluorene 87 was converted to the C2-symmetric lomaiviticin aglycon precursor 91 by enoxysilane formation and oxidative dimerization with manganese tris(hexafluoroacetylacetonate) (94, 26%). The stereochemical outcome is attributed to the steric bias engendered by the mesityl acetal of 87 and contact ion pairing of the intermediates. The coupling product 91 was deprotected (tert-butylhydrogen peroxide, trifluoroacetic acid–dichloromethane) to form the chain isomer of lomaiviticin aglycon 98, which cyclizes to (–)-lomaiviticin aglycon (6, 39–41% overall). The scope of the fluoride-mediated coupling process is delineated (nine products, average yield = 72%, Table 2); a related enoxysilane quinonylation reaction is also described (10 products, average yield = 77%, Table 1). We establish that dimeric diazofluorenes undergo hydrodediazotization 3-fold faster then related monomeric diazofluorenes (Table 6). The simple diazofluorene 103 is a potent inhibitor of ovarian cancer stem cells (IC50 = 500 nM).

We describe a 12-step enantioselective synthetic route to the complex anticancer antimicrobial agent kinamycin F (3). Key to the success of the route was the development of a three-step sequence for construction of the diazonapthoquinone (diazofluorene, blue in structure 3) function of the natural product. This sequence comprises fluoride-mediated coupling of a beta-(trimethylsilylmethyl)-cyclohexenone and halonapthoquinone, palladium-mediated cyclization to construct the tetracyclic scaffold of the natural product, and mild diazo-transfer to a complex cyclopentadiene to introduce the diazo function. Ortho-quinone methide intermediates, formed by reduction and loss of dinitrogen from 3, have been postulated to form in vivo, and our approach provides a straightforward synthetic pathway to such compounds.

Stereoselective synthesis of antitumor tetrahydrofuran (+)-goniothalesdiol was achieved in high overall yield from (-)-D-tartaric acid. Key features include an FeCl3 mediated THF formation with very high selectivity. Synthesis of natural gonithalesdiol and its analogue 2,5-bis-epi-goniothalesdiol was achieved from a common intermediate.

Starting from an easily available pyridinol derivative, a route to penta(2-thienyl)pyridine and related symmetrical compounds is reported. Key reactions are activation of the pyridine core and metal-catalyzed couplings proving the efficacy of these methods even in sterically highly encumbered systems. UV/vis and fluorescence spectra as well as first cyclovoltametric measurements of the synthesized novel thiophene-pyridine conjugates are reported.