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An efficient acylative kinetic resolution of racemic aromatic β-hydroxy esters with cyclohexanecarboxylic anhydride was achieved using newly designed (R)-N-methylbenzoguanidine ((R)-NMBG) derivatives. A series of (R)-NMBG derivatives was synthesized by modifying the original (R)-NMBG catalyst with the introduction of branched N-substituents containing a stereogenic center, and their catalytic performance was evaluated. (R,R)-N-(1-(β-1-Naphthyl)ethyl)benzoguanidine [(R,R)-NβNpEtBG] was found to function as an efficient acyl transfer catalyst for the reaction of a broad variety of substrates, regardless of the substituent type and substitution pattern.

Ridaifen-G (RID-G), a tamoxifen analog that we previously synthesized, has potent growth inhibitory activity against various cancer cell lines. Tamoxifen is an anticancer drug known to act on an estrogen receptor (ER) and other proteins. However, our previous studies interestingly suggested that the mechanism of action of RID-G was different from that of tamoxifen. In order to investigate the molecular mode of action of RID-G, we developed a novel chemical genetic approach that combined a phage display screen with a statistical analysis of drug potency and gene expression profiles in thirty-nine cancer cell lines. Application of this method to RID-G revealed that three proteins, calmodulin (CaM), heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins A2/B1 (hnRNP A2/B1), and zinc finger protein 638 (ZNF638) were the candidates of direct targets of RID-G. Moreover, cell lines susceptible to RID-G show similar expression profiles of RID-G target genes. These results suggest that RID-G involves CaM, hnRNP A2/B1, and ZNF638 in its growth inhibitory activity.

An asymmetric total synthesis of the proposed structure of (16Z,20E)-eushearilide, a novel 24-membered macrolide, was achieved via an enantioselective aldol reaction and 2-methyl-6-nitrobenzoic anhydride-mediated macrolactonization. The obtained synthetic compounds were not identical to the natural product. The newly proposed most likely structure of eushearilide, (±)-(16E,20E)-eushearilide, was determined on the basis of detailed NMR analysis, and (3R,16E,20E,23R)-(−)-eushearilide was successfully synthesized. A comparison of the optical rotation of (3R,16E,20E,23R)-(−)-eushearilide with that of the natural product confirmed that the true structure of naturally occurring eushearilide is the (3S,16E,20E,23S)-(+)-form.

The effect of hydroxyl group on vibrational circular dichroism is addressed. (−)-Menthol is investigated as a representative chiral molecule which has been widely used as a chiral starting material. Free rotation of the hydroxyl group in (−)-menthol allows it to exist in various conformations in solution. The variety of conformations inevitably affects local intermolecular interactions and the resultant efficiency of asymmetric syntheses. However, the precise relationship between the conformations and intermolecular interactions arising from rotation of the hydroxyl group has remained an unsolved issue despite the molecule’s importance. Here, the conformations and interactions are investigated using vibrational circular dichroism (VCD). VCD is quite sensitive to slight differences in the conformation of chiral molecules and their local environment. We examined various conformers in (−)-menthol and compared the VCD spectrum with that of (−)-menthone. It revealed the rotation of the polar hydroxyl group sensitively affects the VCD activity, resulting in the emergence of various patterns in the corresponding VCD spectra, especially in the wavenumber regions at around 1064 cm−1 and 1254 cm−1. Among these regions, the latter one is further investigated to examine the feasibility of applying the sensitive response to the analysis on the local intermolecular environment. It includes solute–solvent interactions via hydroxyl groups, which is important for biomacromolecule structural stability and efficient stereoselective syntheses. As a consequence, distinctive fine structures in the VCD spectra, including an unpredicted band, are observed when varying temperature and concentration. Their possible assignment is also discussed.

Diphenylacetic anhydride (DPHAA) was found to be a useful reagent for the kinetic resolution of racemic 2-hydroxyalkanoates in the presence of a catalytic amount of (R)-benzotetramisole ((R)-BTM). The combined use of DPHAA and (R)-BTM effectively produced a variety of the optically active 2-hydroxyalkanoates and the corresponding 2-acyloxyalkanoates from racemic 2-hydroxyalkanoates (s-values = 42–177). A fairly broad substrate scope was demonstrated by this novel chiral induction system. We also revealed that the use of only 0.3 equiv of DPHAA is enough to provide the optically active 2-acyloxyalkanoates in good yields and with excellent ee’s by the added use of 0.3 equiv of pivalic anhydride for the kinetic resolution of the racemic 2-hydroxyalkanoates.

A general method for the kinetic resolution of racemic α-arylalkanoic acids with achiral alcohols is described. It was determined that bis(9-phenanthryl)methanol is a suitable nucleophile which reacts with the intermediary mixed anhydrides generated from aromatic anhydrides with α-arylpropanoic acids or β-substituted-α-arylpropanoic acids in the presence of (+)-benzotetramisole to produce the corresponding optically active esters with high ee’s under very mild conditions.

The stereoselective total syntheses of botcinic acid, botcinic acid methyl ester, 3-O-acetylbotcinic acid methyl ester, botcineric acid, and botcinin E were achieved. The structures of these compounds have been unequivocally determined through their total synthesis, and they are identified with the revised structures of botcinolide, 4-O-methylbotcinolide, 3-O-acetyl-5-O-methylbotcinolide, homobotcinolide, and 2-epibotcinolide, respectively.

A variety of optically active carboxylic esters are produced by the kinetic resolution of racemic secondary benzylic alcohols using free carboxylic acids with benzoic anhydride and tetramisole derivatives. 4-Methoxybenzoic anhydride (PMBA) is the best reagent to use in producing the corresponding esters in high ee when the reaction is catalyzed by (+)-benzotetramisole (BTM); by contrast, when non-substituted benzoic anhydride is used as a coupling reagent, the resulting optically active alcohols are obtained with high selectivities. This protocol directly produces chiral carboxylic esters from free carboxylic acids and racemic secondary alcohols by utilizing the trans-acylation process to generate mixed anhydrides from acid components and benzoic anhydride derivatives under the influence of chiral catalysts.

Two alternative methods for the synthesis of (9E)-isoambrettolide are established via the rapid lactonization of the free threo-aleuritic acid or its protected seco-acid using substituted benzoic anhydrides with basic catalysts. The most efficient lactonization of the threo-aleuritic acid is performed using 2-methyl-6-nitrobenzoic anhydride (MNBA) with a catalytic amount of 4-dimethylaminopyridine N-oxide (DMAPO).

A short-step route for the preparation of droloxifene has been established via the novel three-component coupling reaction among 3-pivaloyloxybenzaldehyde, cinnamyltrimethylsilane, and β-chlorophenetole, the successive installation of the side-chain part, and the base-induced migration of the double bond. The present synthesis of tetra-substituted ethylene moieties is a widely applicable strategy for producing a variety of SERMs (selective estrogen receptor modulators) and SARMs (selective androgen receptor modulators), such as tamoxifen, raloxifene, and other compounds that can lead to new drugs.

Various carboxamides are synthesized from the corresponding carboxylic acids and amines with high product-selectivities using 2-methyl-6-nitrobenzoic or 2,4,6-trichlorobenzoic anhydride in the presence of 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine.

During screening for mammalian DNA polymerase inhibitors, we found and succeeded in isolating a potent inhibitor from a higher plant, Taxus cuspidate. The compound was unexpectedly determined to be taxinine, an intermediate of paclitaxel (taxol) metabolism. Taxinine was found to selectively inhibit DNA polymerase alpha (pol.alpha) and beta (pol.beta). We therefore, tested taxol and other derivatives and found that taxol itself had no such inhibitory effect, and only taxinine could inhibit both pol.alpha and beta. The other compounds used, one derivative, cephalomannine, and five intermediates synthesized chemically inhibited only the pol.alpha activity in vitro. None of the compounds, including taxinine, influenced the activities of the other DNA polymerases, which are reportedly targeted by many pol.beta inhibitors. With both pol.alpha and beta, all of the compounds tested noncompetitively inhibited with respect to both the DNA template-primer and the dNTP substrate.

A method for the synthesis of octalactin B is established via a new and quite effective mixed-anhydride lactonization for the synthesis of an eight-membered ring moiety using 2-methyl-6-nitrobenzoic anhydride with DMAP. Both an optically active linear precursor of the lactone and a side chain of octalactins are prepared by the enantioselective aldol reaction of ketene silyl acetals with aldehydes.

The Friedel–Crafts alkylation reaction of various aromatic compounds with benzyl or allyl silyl ethers is effectively promoted under mild reaction conditions using Lewis acid catalysts. A mixture of the desired phenyltolylmethanes is obtained in 80% yield from toluene with benzyl dimethylsilyl or trimethylsilyl ether at 50°C in the presence of a catalytic amount of Cl 2 Si(OTf) 2 or Hf(OTf) 4 .

The three-component coupling reaction among aromatic aldehydes, allyltrimethylsilane and aromatic nucleophiles is efficiently performed by the promotion of HfCl 4 . A similar reaction occurs using allyltributyltin as the first nucleophile to aromatic aldehydes with a catalytic amount of Cl 2 Si(OTf) 2 generated in situ from SiCl 4 and AgOTf.

A novel [1,3] sigmatropic rearrangement of ketene silyl acetals derived from benzyl α-substituted propanoates is developed. The reaction of ketene silyl acetal derived from optically active 1-phenylethyl 2-methylpropanoate mainly proceeds with the retention of chirality at the benzyl position to give the corresponding optically active silyl ester under thermodynamic conditions.

A new method for the synthesis of optically active anti-vic-hydroxymethyl units that correspond to anti-aldol derivatives is developed by way of successive enantioselective aldol and diastereoselective desulfurization reactions.

The anti-tumor agent, tamoxifen, is easily synthesized by the successive allylation of benzaldehyde and the Friedel–Crafts alkylation reaction of anisole with the intermediary homoallyl silyl ethers, followed by the migration of the double bond to form the desired tetra-substituted ethylenes. Several derivatives of tamoxifen are also produced according to a similar synthetic strategy.

Of the 16 possible modes of the oxidation-6π-electrocylization-Diels–Alder reaction cascade for an epoxyquinone, and eight for a 2-alkenyl-3-hydroxymethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one, only the endo - anti (epoxide) -anti (Me)-hetero and endo - anti (Me)-hetero are respectively observed, while both the endo - anti (epoxide) -anti (Me)-hetero and exo - anti (epoxide) -anti (Me)-homo reaction modes occur with epoxy-4-hydroxycyclohexenones owing to a hydrogen-bonding interaction.

Highly diastereo- and enantioselective aldol-type reactions of a silyl enol ether with aldehydes including aromatic, aliphatic, and α,β-unsaturated ones are performed in propionitrile (solvent) by the use of a catalytic amount of chiral tin(II) Lewis acid consisting of tin(II) triflate and a chiral diamine. The asymmetric environments created by the chiral catalysts in the enantioselective aldol reaction are discussed by employing five kinds of chiral diamines.