Catalytic oxidative 1,2-shift in 1,1'-disubstituted olefins using arene(iodo)sulfonic acid as the precatalyst and oxone as the oxidant.

An efficient, catalytic hypervalent iodine-mediated oxidative 1,2-shift of 1,1'-disubstituted olefins is described. This methodology provides concise access to homobenzylic ketones with electron-donating substituents. In the case of cyclic systems, this transformation results in ring-expanded β-benzocycloalkanones, which are useful for further elaboration.

Dyotropic rearrangements of fused tricyclic β-lactones: application to the synthesis of (-)-curcumanolide A and (-)-curcumalactone.

Dyotropic rearrangements of fused, tricyclic β-lactones are described that proceed via unprecedented stereospecific, 1,2-acyl migrations delivering bridged, spiro-γ-butyrolactones. A unique example of this dyotropic process involves a fused bis-lactone possessing both β- and δ-lactone moieties which enabled rapid access to the core structures of curcumanolide A and curcumalactone. Our current mechanistic understanding of the latter dyotropic process, based on computational studies, is also described.

Concise synthesis of spirocyclic, bridged gamma-butyrolactones via stereospecific, dyotropic rearrangements of beta-lactones involving 1,2-acyl and delta-lactone migrations.

Dyotropic processes involving unprecedented 1,2-acyl migrations provide access to novel spirocyclic, bridged keto-gamma-lactones from a series of fused, tricyclic-beta-lactones, available via biscyclization of ketoacids including a new asymmetric variant. In addition, a spirocyclic bis-gamma-lactone was generated via a dyotropic process involving a 1,2-beta-lactone/sigma-lactone interchange. Overall, this sequence provides a simple, two-step process for conversion of diketoacids to complex spiro[5.

Bicyclic- and tricyclic-beta-lactones via organonucleophile-promoted bis-cyclizations of keto acids: Enantioselective synthesis of (+)-dihydroplakevulin.

A highly diastereoselective, nucleophile-promoted bis-cyclization process, employing readily available and tractable keto acid substrates, is described. This methodology provides concise access to bicyclic- and tricyclic-beta-lactones bearing tertiary carbinol centers and quaternary carbons, greatly extending the scope of previous routes to bicyclic-beta-lactones from aldehyde acid substrates. The utility of the method was demonstrated by application to an enantioselective synthesis of (+)-dihydroplakevulin A.

Practical, catalytic, asymmetric synthesis of beta-lactones via a sequential ketene dimerization/hydrogenation process: inhibitors of the thioesterase domain of fatty acid synthase.

The recent finding that the FDA-approved antiobesity agent orlistat (tetrahydrolipstatin, Xenical) is a potent inhibitor of the thioesterase domain of fatty acid synthase (FAS) led us to develop a concise and practical asymmetric route to pseudosymmetric 3,4-dialkyl-cis-beta-lactones. The well-documented up-regulation of FAS in cancer cells makes this enzyme complex an interesting therapeutic target for cancer. The described route to 3,4-dialkyl-beta-lactones is based on a two-step process involving Calter's catalytic, asymmetric ketene dimerization of acid chlorides followed by a facial-selective hydrogenation leading to cis-substituted-beta-lactones.