Nickel-Catalyzed Regiodivergent Approach to Macrolide Motifs.

A strategy for regiochemical reversal of reductive macrocyclizations of aldehydes and terminal alkynes has been developed. Using an advanced synthetic intermediate directed towards the methymycin/neomethymycin class of macrolides, selective endocyclization provides the natural twelve-membered ring series, whereas ligand alteration enables selective exocyclization to provide access to the unnatural eleven-membered ring series. The twelve-membered ring adduct was converted to 10-deoxymethynolide, completing an efficient total synthesis of this natural product.

Ligand-guided pathway selection in nickel-catalyzed couplings of enals and alkynes.

Nickel-catalyzed couplings of enals and alkynes utilizing triethylborane as the reducing agent illustrate a significant dependence on ligand structure. Simple variation of monodentate phosphines allows selective access to alkylative couplings or reductive cycloadditions, while further variation of reaction conditions provides clean access to reductive couplings and redox-neutral couplings.