Catalytic enantioselective desymmetrisation as a tool for the synthesis of hodgkinsine and hodgkinsine B.

Two palladium-catalysed amination protocols are deployed in the desymmetrisation of the complex dimeric alkaloid meso-chimonanthine. The power of these transformations is showcased in an efficient formal and total synthesis of the natural products hodgkinsine and hodgkinsine B, respectively.

Doubly diastereoselective conjugate addition of homochiral lithium amides to homochiral alpha,beta-unsaturated esters containing cis- and trans-dioxolane units.

As part of a long-term goal directed towards the ab initio asymmetric synthesis of unnatural amino sugars, the doubly diastereoselective conjugate addition reactions of the antipodes of lithium N-benzyl-N-(alpha-methylbenzyl)amide to a range of homochiral alpha,beta-unsaturated esters containing cis- and trans-dioxolane units was investigated. These reactions resulted in "matching" and "mismatching" effects. In the "matched" cases a single diastereoisomer of the corresponding beta-amino ester (containing three contiguous stereocentres) is produced.

Palladium-catalyzed alpha-arylation of oxindoles.

A catalyst generated from Pd(dba)2 and the bulky electron-rich phosphine ligand 2-(dicyclohexylphosphino)-2',4', 6'-tri-i-propyl-1-1'-biphenyl is effective for the alpha-arylation of oxindoles. Generation of the potassium-enolates of a range of oxindoles allows coupling with aryl chlorides, bromides, and triflates. Significant variation of the substitution pattern on both the oxindole and aryl halide is possible.