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Here we present a new stack ligand with a modified imidazoline backbone prepared from cyclohexanediamine. This new stack ligand­, Cy-StackPhim, has been found to complement the parent StackPhim ligand in an enantioselective borylation reaction. Additionally, a correlation between the nature of substituents on the imidazoline ring and the substituents on the electrophile is also discussed.

A simple procedure for the intermolecular enantioselective palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative allylation of β-ketoacids is described. This method, inspired by a stoichiometric control experiment p...

Asymmetric allylic alkylation (AAA) is a powerful method for the formation of highly useful, non-racemic allylic compounds. Here we present a complementary enantioselective process that generates allylic lactones via π-acid catalysis. More specifically, a catalytic enantioselective dehydrative lactonization of allylic alcohols using a novel Pd(II)-catalyst containing the imidazole-based P,N -ligand ( S )-StackPhos is reported. The high-yielding reactions are operationally simple to perform with enantioselectivities up to 99% ee. This strategy facilitates the replacement of a poor leaving group with what would ostensibly be a better leaving group in the product avoiding complications arising from racemization by equilibration.

Novel phospholipid (PL)-cyclosporine conjugates were prepared and studied as potential prodrugs for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Our approach relies on phospholipase A2 (PLA2 ), which is overexpressed in the inflamed intestinal tissues, as the prodrug activator to potentially release cyclosporine at the site of inflammation. PL-cyclosporine prodrug conjugates with methylene linkers of various lengths between the sn-2 position of the PL and cyclosporine were synthesized and evaluated for in vitro activation. Surprisingly, despite previous work indicating that conjugates with six methylene linkers between the lipid and drug would suffer rapid enzymatic hydrolysis, with cyclosporine this was not observed. However, compounds with longer linkers (n=10, 12 methylene units) display complete release of the drug by PLA2 -catalyzed hydrolysis, thus demonstrating the importance and profound impact of structural fine-tuning. This study represents a proof-of-concept for our hypothesis and a first step towards a truly targeted IBD treatment with cyclosporine that could be administered throughout the GI tract.

Oral medication with activity specifically at the inflamed sites throughout the gastrointestinal tract and limited systemic exposure would be a major advance in our therapeutic approach to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). For this purpose, we have designed a prodrug by linking active drug moiety to phospholipid (PL), the substrate of phospholipase A

Therapeutics with activity specifically at the inflamed sites throughout the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) would be a major advance in our therapeutic approach to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We aimed to develop the prodrug approach that can allow such site-specific drug delivery. Currently, using cyclosporine as a drug of choice in IBD is limited to the most severe cases due to substantial systemic toxicities and narrow therapeutic index of this drug. Previously, we synthesized a series of a phospholipid-linker-cyclosporine (PLC) prodrugs designed to exploit the overexpression of phospholipase A

In this work, we report enantioselective orthogonal tandem catalysis for the one pot conversion of Meldrum's acid derivatives and alkynes into δ-lactones. This new transformation, which resembles a formal [4+2] cycloaddition with concomitant decarboxylation and loss of acetone, proceeds in high yields and excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99 % ee) over a broad substrate scope. The products are densely functionalized and ripe for further transformations, as demonstrated here by both ring-opening reactions and reduction to saturated lactones. It was discovered that a new and serendipitously formed AgI -Me-StackPhos complex efficiently catalyzes the highly selective 6-endo-dig cyclization, completely reversing the regiochemistry that has been previously reported in related systems. More generally, in this study we identify a pair of compatible catalysts for alkyne difunctionalization that operate concurrently, which enable the alkyne to act as both a nucleophile and an electrophile in sequential one-pot transformations.

Here we report a strategy for the systematic variation of atropisomeric C1 -symmetric P,N ligands to incrementally change the position of the groups within the chiral pocket without modifying their steric parameters. More specifically, the effects of systematic modification of the nitrogen heterocycle in atropisomeric C1 -symmetric stack ligands have been investigated in this study. The versatility and applicability of this approach has been demonstrated in mechanistically distinct catalytic enantioselective transformations, resulting in the identification of a P,N-ligand for a highly enantioselective synthesis of organoboranes.

The synthesis and biological evaluation of truncated spirastrellolide A analogues comprised of the southern hemisphere against protein phosphatase 2A are described. A convergent synthesis was designed featuring two gold-catalyzed cyclization reactions, specifically, a dehydrative cyclization of monoallylic diols for the synthesis of the tetrahydropyran (A-ring) and a regioselective spiroketalization for the efficient generation of the [6,6]-spiroketal (B, C-ring system). The synthesis of the southern hemisphere of spirastrellolide A was achieved involving the longest linear sequence of 19 steps. A total of eight spirastrellolide A analogues were synthesized, and preliminary PP2A enzyme assay inhibition studies were performed for the first time on analogues of the southern hemisphere. Several analogues showed inhibition, which is a positive indication and perhaps suggests that the unsaturated spiroketal fragment might be crucial to induce PP2A inhibition.

The aim of this work is to analyze relevant endogenous lipid processing pathways, in the context of the impact that lipids have on drug absorption, their therapeutic use, and utilization in drug delivery. Lipids may serve as biomarkers of some diseases, but they can also provide endogenous therapeutic effects for certain pathological conditions. Current uses and possible clinical benefits of various lipids (fatty acids, steroids, triglycerides, and phospholipids) in cancer, infectious, inflammatory, and neurodegenerative diseases are presented. Lipids can also be conjugated to a drug molecule, accomplishing numerous potential benefits, one being the improved treatment effect, due to joined influence of the lipid carrier and the drug moiety. In addition, such conjugates have increased lipophilicity relative to the parent drug. This leads to improved drug pharmacokinetics and bioavailability, the ability to join endogenous lipid pathways and achieve drug targeting to the lymphatics, inflamed tissues in certain autoimmune diseases, or enable overcoming different barriers in the body. Altogether, novel mechanisms of the lipid role in diseases are constantly discovered, and new ways to exploit these mechanisms for the optimal drug design that would advance different drug delivery/therapy aspects are continuously emerging.

A highly versatile enantioselective intermolecular Tsuji allylation that generates alpha-quaternary stereocenters is reported. The methodology utilizes a prochiral enol acetate as a substrate, which is the last class of the original Tsuji substrates to be successfully employed in an enantioselective variant of the venerable reaction. This development enables a highly convergent approach that lends itself to rapid diversification and analogue synthesis by facilitating the incorporation of the allyl moiety from an allylic alkoxide, obviating the need for the preparation of allylic enol carbonates. The reaction is operationally simple and employs the readily available PHOX ligand class. More than 30 examples are reported that proceed with enantiomeric excess (ee) values of up to 96% and a scope that tolerates a wide range of functional groups on the allylic component. The enol acetate substrates are readily prepared from both aryl and aliphatic ketones, where the regioselective preparation has long been known utilizing a variety of methods. The power of this methodology lies in its ability to quickly produce a diverse set of single enantiomer products using different allylic alcohols with a common prochiral enol acetate. This is demonstrated here by two rapid formal syntheses of hamigeran B that utilize a common intermediate to intercept both Clive and Stoltz intermediates, and also to prepare novel intermediate analogues.

The enzyme phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is overexpressed in the inflamed intestine in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, and in this work we aimed to exploit PLA2 as a prodrug-activating enzyme for a novel PL-drug conjugate, thereby liberating the free drug specifically in the targeted diseased tissue(s). The proposed prodrug contains a drug moiety covalently bound through a linker to the sn-2 position of a phospholipid (PL). The NSAID diclofenac was used as model molecule, and four different linker lengths (2, 4, 6 and 8 -CH2 units) were studied. The four PL-diclofenac conjugates were synthesized and characterized by LC/MS and NMR. PLA2-mediated activation of the prodrugs was analyzed in-vitro, and the remaining intact complex and free drug liberation were assessed after incubation with PLA2. The rate and degree of PLA2-mediated activation were highly dependent on the linker length; 2- and 4-carbon linker conjugates were activated to lower extent than the 6-carbon conjugate, and longer linker again decreased the affinity towards PLA2. The 6-carbon linker conjugate was found to be the optimal and released ~95% of the free drug after incubation with PLA2, whereas only ~20% were delivered by the 2-carbon linker prodrug. The 6-carbon linker conjugate was shown to be stable in intestinal perfusate, fresh plasma, and pH4.0 and 6.8 buffers, but not at pH1.0. In conclusion, the results of this work confirm the feasibility of our general aim to exploit PLA2 as a prodrug-activating enzyme of PL-drug conjugates. This may provide a novel oral drug targeting approach in IBD therapy.

Nowadays, prodrugs are no longer used as a last resort, rather, they are intentionally designed at the early stages of drug development. Lipidic prodrug strategy, where a drug moiety is covalently bound to a lipid carrier, was initially proposed half a century ago, yet, this approach still remains to be explored. Lipidic prodrugs can join physiological lipid metabolic pathways, and hence provide drug targeting via lymphatic transport or site-specific drug release, improve drugs’ pharmacokinetic profile, overcome obstacles originating from biological barriers and bypass hepatic first-pass metabolism. Physiological pathways of lipid processing, uses of different lipidic prodrugs and their clinical benefits are overviewed. Overall, lipidic prodrugs present a promising approach for overcoming different obstacles and fulfilling various unmet needs in drug delivery/targeting.

The lipidic prodrug approach is an emerging field for improving a number of biopharmaceutical and drug delivery aspects. Owing to their structure and nature, phospholipid (PL)-based prodrugs may join endogenous lipid processing pathways, and hence significantly improve the pharmacokinetics and/or bioavailability of the drug. Additional advantages of this approach include drug targeting by enzyme-triggered drug release, blood&ndash, brain barrier permeability, lymphatic targeting, overcoming drug resistance, or enabling appropriate formulation. The PL-prodrug design includes various structural modalities-different conjugation strategies and/or the use of linkers between the PL and the drug moiety, which considerably influence the prodrug characteristics and the consequent effects. In this article, we describe how molecular modeling can guide the structural design of PL-based prodrugs. Computational simulations can predict the extent of phospholipase A2 (PLA2)-mediated activation, and facilitate prodrug development. Several computational methods have been used to facilitate the design of the pro-drugs, which will be reviewed here, including molecular docking, the free energy perturbation method, molecular dynamics simulations, and free density functional theory. Altogether, the studies described in this article indicate that computational simulation-guided PL-based prodrug molecular design correlates well with the experimental results, allowing for more mechanistic and less empirical development. In the future, the use of molecular modeling techniques to predict the activity of PL-prodrugs should be used earlier in the development process.

In ulcerative colitis (UC), the inflammation is localized in the colon, and one of the successful strategies for colon-targeting drug delivery is the prodrug approach. In this work, we present a novel phospholipid (PL)-based prodrug approach, as a tool for colonic drug targeting in UC. We aim to use the phospholipase A2 (PLA2), an enzyme that is overexpressed in the inflamed colonic tissues of UC patients, as the PL-prodrug activating enzyme, to accomplish the liberation of the parent drug from the prodrug complex at the specific diseased tissue(s). Different linker lengths between the PL and the drug moiety can dictate the rate of activation by PLA2, and subsequently determine the amount of free drugs at the site of action. The feasibility of this approach was studied with newly synthesized PL-Fmoc (fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl) conjugates, using Fmoc as a model compound for testing our hypothesis. In vitro incubation with bee venom PLA2 demonstrated that a 7-carbon linker between the PL and Fmoc has higher activation rate than a 5-carbon linker. 4-fold higher colonic expression of PLA2 was demonstrated in colonic mucosa of colitis-induced rats when compared to healthy animals, validating our hypothesis of a colitis-targeting prodrug approach. Next, a novel molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was developed for PL-based prodrugs containing clinically relevant drugs. PL-methotrexate conjugate with 6-carbon linker showed the highest extent of PLA2-mediated activation, whereas shorter linkers were activated to a lower extent. In conclusion, this work demonstrates that for carefully designed PL-drug conjugates, PLA2 overexpression in inflamed colonic tissues can be used as prodrug-activating enzyme and drug targeting strategy, including insights into the activation mechanisms in a PLA2 binding site.

By the nature of its structure, the 5-membered chiral biaryl heterocyclic scaffold represents a departure from 6-membered P,N-ligands that facilitates tuning and enables ligand evolution to address issues of selectivity and reactivity. In this vein, the Cu-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate alkynylation of Meldrum's acid acceptors is reported using Me-StackPhos. Enabled by this new ligand, the reaction tolerates a wide range of alkynes furnishing the products in high yields and excellent enantioselectivity. The transformation provides access to highly useful chiral β-alkynyl Meldrum's acid building blocks as demonstrated by an efficient enantioselective synthesis of the preclinical agent OPC 51803.

A complementary strategy for ligand tuning that enables controlling ligand conformation is described here. The concept is demonstrated with new ligands that are employed in the catalytic enantioselective preparation of the highly important C2-aminoalkyl five-membered heterocycle motif. The alkynylation/cyclization sequence developed here is convergent, highly modular, and allows for a complementary scope to the heteroarylation of imines. This new ligand platform should offer new possibilities for expanding the use of PHIM-type ligands in a large variety of new transformations.

In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, the enzyme phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is overexpressed in the inflamed intestinal tissue, and hence may be exploited as a prodrug-activating enzyme allowing drug targeting to the site(s) of gut inflammation. The purpose of this work was to develop powerful modern computational approaches, to allow optimized a-priori design of phospholipid (PL) based prodrugs for IBD drug targeting. We performed simulations that predict the activation of PL-drug conjugates by PLA2 with both human and bee venom PLA2. The calculated results correlated well with in-vitro experimental data. In conclusion, a-priori drug design using a computational approach complements and extends experimentally derived data, and may improve resource utilization and speed drug development.

In the past, a prodrug design was used as a last option to improve bioavailability through controlling transport, distribution, metabolism, or other mechanisms. Prodrugs are currently used even in early stages of drug development, and a significant percentage of all drugs in the market are prodrugs. The focus of this article is lipidic prodrugs, a strategy whereby a lipid carrier is covalently bound to the drug moiety. The increased lipophilicity of the lipid-drug conjugate can improve the pharmacokinetic profile and provide meaningful advantages: increased absorption across biological barriers, prolonged circulation half-life, selective distribution profile (eg brain penetration), reduced hepatic first-pass metabolism, and overall enhanced bioavailability of the parent drug. Moreover, lipidic prodrugs may join the endogenous lipid trafficking pathways, thereby facilitate drug targeting, either by selective absorption pathway (eg lymphatic transport) or drug release at specific target site(s). The different lipid-drug conjugates (triglyceride-, fatty acids, phospholipid-, and steroid-based prodrugs), the physiological barriers that challenge the absorption of these conjugates, followed by their current utilization and potential clinical benefits are described and analyzed, and future opportunities this approach could provide are discussed. Altogether, lipidic prodrugs represent an exciting approach for improving different aspects of oral drug delivery/therapy and may provide solutions for various unmet needs; the use of this strategy is expected to grow.

A convenient strategy for the synthesis of phthalides and γ-butyrolactones is reported. The method utilizes readily prepared allylic alcohols in formal Au(I)- and Pd(II)-catalyzed SN2′ reactions. Using these catalysts, exclusive formation of the desired five-membered lactones is observed, completely avoiding the competing direct lactonization pathway that forms the undesired seven-membered ring with protic acids and alternative metal salts. This mild and operationally simple method notably tolerates exomethylene groups and should find use in both phthalide and terpene syntheses.

New computationally driven protocols for the Heck desymmetrization of 3-cyclopenten-1-ol with aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborates were developed. These new conditions furnished remarkable product selectivity originating from a resident hydroxyl group and the critical choice of the reaction solvent. Mechanistic insights gleaned from theoretical calculations of the putative transition states predicted toluene as an adequate solvent choice to attain high enantioselectivity by strengthening the noncovalent interaction of the substrate hydroxyl group and the chiral cationic palladium catalyst. Laboratory experiments validated the theoretical predictions, and by employing 2% MeOH/toluene as solvent, the Heck-Matsuda reaction provided exclusively the cis-4-arylcyclopentenols 3a-l in good to excellent yields in enantiomeric excesses up to 99%. The performance of the new PyOx ligand (S)-4-tert-butyl-2-(3,5-dichloropyridin-2-yl)-4,5-dihydrooxazole was also successfully evaluated in the Heck-Matsuda desymmetrization of 3-cyclopenten-1-ol. The synthetic potential of these highly functionalized cis-4-arylcyclopentenols is illustrated by a gold-catalyzed synthesis of cyclopenta[b]benzofuran skeletons.

The Cu-catalyzed synthesis of nonracemic 3-amino skipped diynes via an enantiodetermining C-C bond formation is described using StackPhos as ligand. Despite challenging issues of reactivity and stereoselectivity inherent to these chiral skipped diynes, the reaction tolerates an extremely broad substrate scope with respect to all components and provides the title compounds in excellent enantiomeric excess. The alkyne moieties are demonstrated here to be useful synthetic handles, and 3-amino skipped diynes are convenient building blocks for enantioselective synthesis.

An enantioselective total synthesis of martinellic acid is described. The pyrroloquinoline alkaloid core is efficiently prepared from a quinoline, employing a method which relies on a newly developed Cu-catalyzed enantioselective alkynylation using the chiral imidazole-based biaryl P,N ligand StackPhos to establish the absolute stereochemistry. The remaining carbon atoms are then installed by means of a diastereoselective Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative allylation and the synthesis is completed after straightforward functional-group manipulation. This new synthetic method enables the most concise enantioselective synthesis of this important class of molecules to date.

A complementary diastereoselective gold(I) or bismuth(III) catalyzed tandem hemiacetalization/dehydrative cyclization of 1,5-monoallylic diols was developed to access 1,3-dioxolanes and dioxanes. This methodology provides rapid access to protected 1,3-diols under mild conditions with high levels of diastereoselectivity.

A novel gold-catalyzed synthesis of unsaturated spiroketals that addresses regioselectivity issues commonly reported in metal-catalyzed spiroketalization of alkynes is reported. The reaction sequence is regulated by an acetonide protecting group which undergoes extrusion of acetone to deliver the desired spiroketals in good yields and diastereoselectivities. The reaction, which is carried out under very mild conditions employing AuCl as the catalyst, should be widely applicable in the synthesis of a broad range of spiroketals.

A new strategy for increasing the barrier to rotation in biaryls has been developed that allows for the incorporation of 5-membered aromatic heterocycles into chiral atropisomers. Using this concept, an imidazole-based biaryl P,N-ligand has been designed and prepared as a single enantiomer. This ligand performs exceptionally well in the enantioselective A(3)-coupling, demonstrating the potential of this new design element.

Mild conditions for the gold-catalyzed dehydrative cyclization of carbamate-protected azaallylic alcohols to form saturated nitrogen heterocycles are reported. The cyclization reactions are high-yielding, operationally easy to perform, and provide heterocycles with a synthetically useful vinyl group, strategically located on the ring system, which can facilitate further transformations for target oriented synthesis. It is also demonstrated through chirality transfer experiments that the mechanism can be either cationic in nature or a Au-catalyzed addition/elimination sequence. The diverging mechanistic scenario is dependent on the nature of the substituents on the allylic alcohol and necessitates judicious substrate design.

The use of gold-complexes to activate carbon–carbon π-bonds has become a well-known and highly reliable mode of reactivity for applications in organic synthesis. This review covers the use of gold-catalysts for activation of unsaturated alcohols to effect substitution with concomitant loss of water and is mostly focused on reactions where the π-acidity appears to overcome the inherent Lewis acidity of the complexes for alcohol activation. Select examples from the literature which demonstrate advances made between 2011 and 2014 are presented.

The Cu-catalyzed synthesis of nonracemic 3-amino skipped diynes via an enantiodetermining C–C bond formation is described using StackPhos as ligand. Despite challenging issues of reactivity and stereoselectivity inherent to these chiral skipped diynes, the reaction tolerates an extremely broad substrate scope with respect to all components and provides the title compounds in excellent enantiomeric excess. The alkyne moieties are demonstrated here to be useful synthetic handles, and 3-amino skipped diynes are convenient building blocks for enantioselective synthesis.

The Heck—Matsuda desymmetrization of 3-cyclopenten-1-ol is studied by both computational and synthetic means.

An enantioselective total synthesis of martinellic acid is described. The pyrroloquinoline alkaloid core is efficiently prepared from a quinoline, employing a method which relies on a newly developed Cu-catalyzed enantioselective alkynylation using the chiral imidazole-based biaryl P,N ligand StackPhos to establish the absolute stereochemistry. The remaining carbon atoms are then installed by means of a diastereoselective Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative allylation and the synthesis is completed after straightforward functional-group manipulation. This new synthetic method enables the most concise enantioselective synthesis of this important class of molecules to date.

The catalytic system of CuBr and the newly developed chiral StackPhos ligand is successfully applied for the three-component reaction of quinolines with terminal alkynes and ethyl chloroformate leading to dihydroquinolines such as (IV) and (VII), which are readily converted into natural compounds (-)-angustureine (Va), (+)-galipinine, and (+)-cuspareine (VIII).

The transition-metal-catalyzed synthesis of spiroketals is a rapidly growing area and these methods have facilitated the use of new spiroketal synthons as latent spiroketal equivalents. This review highlights the different substrate classes and provides select examples of applications in natural product synthesis. 1 Introduction 2 Conformational Aspects of Spiroketal Structures 3 Traditional Approaches to Spiroketal Synthesis 4 Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Spiroketalization 4.1 Dihydroalkoxylation of Alkynediols 4.2 Spiroketalization of Monopropargylic Triols 4.3 Intramolecular Reaction of Epoxy Alkynes 4.4 Spiroketalization of Propargyl Vinyl Ethers 4.5 Oxycarbonylation of Dienones 4.6 Transposition of Allylic Alcohols 4.7 Hetero-Diels–Alder Reaction 4.8 Cyclization of Monoacetylated Ketodiol 4.9 Ring-Rearrangement and Ring-Closing Metathesis 4.10 [2+2+2] Cycloaddition of C-Alkynyl Carbohydrates 4.11 Pauson–Khand Reaction of Ketal Enynes 4.12 Tandem Cyclization and Cross-Coupling Reactions of β-Bromoketals and Aryl Iodides 4.13 Applications to Natural Product Synthesis 5 Outlook

The total synthesis of acortatarin A relying on a Pd(II)-catalyzed spiroketalization is reported. This strategy allows a single stereocenter in the spiroketalization substrate to produce the target efficiently under mild conditions, installing the necessary oxygenation in the backbone through an allylic transposition. The synthesis also verifies that pollenopyrroside B and acortatarin A are the same compound, and electrochemical studies suggest that the reported bioactivity is not due to simple antioxidant properties.

The activation of allylic and propargylic alcohols for use as electrophiles represents a burgeoning new area in homogeneous gold catalysis. This review covers Au-catalyzed substitution reactions of unsaturated alcohols in which water serves as leaving group. Attention is given to different substrate classes and the mechanisms by which the reactions are believed to occur. Recent advances in chirality transfer and enantioselective reactions are also reviewed.

The Au(I)-catalyzed cyclization of hydroxyallylic ethers to form tetrahydropyrans is reported. Employing (acetonitrile)[(o-biphenyl)di-tert-butylphosphine]gold(I) hexafluoroantimonate, the cyclization reactions were complete within minutes to hours, depending on the substrate. The reaction progress was monitored by GC, and comparisons between substrates demonstrate that reactions of allylic alcohols are faster than the corresponding ethers. Additionally, it is reported that Reaxa QuadraPureTM MPA is an efficient scavenging reagent that halts the reaction progress.

The gold(I)-catalyzed cyclization of monoallylic diols is an efficient method for the formation of tetrahydropyrans from readily available, easily prepared substrates. The reaction has been shown to be general and high yielding with low catalyst loadings. Several new synthetically useful substrates and efficient methods for both their preparation and cyclization are reported.

The preparation of 2-(3-pyrrolin-1-yl)-1,4-naphthoquinones and a study of their use as photoactivated alkylating agents is reported. The title compounds were easily synthesized by conjugate addition of the corresponding 3-pyrrolines to various naphthoquinones. Upon exposure to ambient room light, the compounds undergo an internal redox reaction to form 2-(pyrrol-1-yl)-1,4-hydroquinones, which are activated for

The use of a mixture of dl- and meso-divinylethylene carbonate as an electrophile in palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation reactions is reported. From the diastereomeric mixture of meso and chiral racemic starting materials, a single product is obtained in high optical purity employing either oxygen or nitrogen nucleophiles. The resulting dienes have proven to be versatile synthetic intermediates as each carbon is functionalized for further transformation and differentiated by virtue of the reaction. A mechanism for this intriguing transformation is proposed and a concise enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-australine hydrochloride is reported as well as a formal synthesis of isoaltholactone.

A highly enantioselective copper-catalyzed alkynylation of quinolinium salts is reported. The reaction employs StackPhos, a newly developed imidazole-based chiral biaryl P,N ligand, and copper bromide to effect a three-component reaction between a quinoline, a terminal alkyne, and ethyl chloroformate. Under the reaction conditions, the desired products are delivered in high yields with ee values of up to 98 %. The transformation tolerates a wide range of functional groups with respect to both the alkyne and the quinoline starting materials and the products are easily transformed into useful synthons. Efficient, enantioselective syntheses of the tetrahydroquinoline alkaloids (+)-galipinine, (+)-angustureine, and (-)-cuspareine are reported.

A gold-catalyzed synthesis of cyclic 2-oxodienes from readily prepared propargyl alcohols and the subsequent Diels—Alder reaction are reported.

Over the past decade and a half, homogenous gold catalysis has emerged as a diverse and rich field of research resulting in the continuous development of new methods for organic synthesis. The activation of alkynes towards nucleophilic attack by AuI and AuIII complexes is a well-established mode of reactivity and the gold-catalyzed hydration and hydroalkoxylation of alkynes are two of the more well-explored reaction pathways. Although these classes of reactions have seen continuous development since their initial reports, achieving regioselectivity persists as one of the most challenging issues for this chemistry. This article aims to draw attention to the general problem of regioselectivity in these reactions. A select set of examples is presented to highlight the challenges and survey some of the strategies employed to address this problem.