Enantiospecific total synthesis of 6-epi-(-)-hamigeran B. Intramolecular Heck reaction in a sterically constrained environment

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(03)01754-4

An enantiospecific approach, emanating from the abundantly available chiron R-(+)-limonene, to the biologically potent, novel marine natural products, the hamigerans has been developed in which an intramolecular Heck coupling between aryl triflates and an alkene serves as the pivotal step. Following this strategy, a synthesis of (-)-6-epi-hamigeran B has been accomplished.

Full text of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(03)01754-4

TETRAHEDRON
LETTERS
Pergamon
Tetrahedron Letters 44 (2003) 7049–7053
Enantiospecific total synthesis of 6-epi-(−)-hamigeran B.
Intramolecular Heck reaction in a sterically constrained
environment
Goverdhan Mehta* and Harish M. Shinde
Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
Received 19 May 2003; revised 30 June 2003; accepted 18 July 2003
Abstract—An enantiospecific approach, emanating from the abundantly available chiron R-(+)-limonene, to the biologically
potent, novel marine natural products, the hamigerans has been developed in which an intramolecular Heck coupling between aryl
triflates and an alkene serves as the pivotal step. Following this strategy, a synthesis of (−)-6-epi-hamigeran B has been
accomplished.
© 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Natural products from marine flora and fauna continue
to be a rich source of structural diversity and promising
biological activity.1 In 2000, Cambie et al. reported the
isolation and structure determination of several novel
natural products from the poecilosclerid sponge
Hamigera tarangaensis BERGQUIST and FROMONT
(family Anchinoidae, syn. Phorbasidae) collected from
the Hen and Chicken Island off the coast of New
Zealand.2 Among these natural products, named
hamigerans, four compounds, hamigeran A 1, debromo-
hamigeran A 2, hamigeran B 3 and 4-bromohamigeran
B 4 are endowed with a unique tricarbocyclic skeleton
in which a substituted aromatic nucleus is fused to a
hydrindane framework bearing three or more stereo-
genic centres.
Hamigerans are biogenetically quite interesting and it
remains to be established whether they are norditer-
penoids or meroterpenoids that arise through mixed
biogenesis involving a monoterpenoid moiety. The bio-
logical activity profile of hamigerans is impressive and
some of them exhibit moderate in vitro cytotoxicity
against P-388 leukemia cells. However, hamigeran B 3
has been found to be quite exceptional and exhibits
100% in vitro inhibition against both the herpes and
polio viruses, with only slight cytotoxicity. The absolute
configuration of hamigeran A 1 has been determined by
single-crystal X-ray analysis and those of other mem-
bers of this family inferred from this assignment.3 On
account of the structural novelty and biological activ-
ity, hamigerans constitute challenging synthetic targets
and the first total synthesis of these natural products
has been accomplished recently by the research group
of Nicolaou.4 We have been pursuing an enantiospecific
route to hamigerans, particularly the biologically most
potent hamigeran B 3 from the abundantly available
chiron R-(+)-limonene 5 and wish to report here the
synthesis of 6-epi-hamigeran B 6 following a strategy in
which an intramolecular Heck coupling in a sterically
compressed environment is the key step.
We have earlier described the restructuring of (+)-
limonene 5 to the cyclopentane derivative (−)-7, which
has proved to be a versatile building block for terpene
* Corresponding author. E-mail: gm@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in
0040-4039/$ - see front matter © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/S0040-4039(03)01754-4

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G. Mehta, H. M. Shinde / Tetrahedron Letters 44 (2003) 7049–7053
It was planned to generate the tricyclic framework of
hamigeran B through an intramolecular Heck coupling8
and for that, an appropriate aromatic appendage
needed to be installed using the aldehyde group in 11 as
the
handle.
Directed
metalation9
of
3-
(methoxymethoxy)anisole 12 and addition to 11 was
regioselective and, following pyridinium dichromate
(PDC) oxidation, aryl ketone 15 was conveniently
obtained (Scheme 2). Similarly, addition of metalated
5-methyl-3-(methoxymethoxy)anisole 13 to 11 and PDC
oxidation furnished 16. In another example, metalation
of 1-bromo-2-(methoxymethoxy)naphthalene 14, addi-
tion to 11, and oxidation furnished 17 regioselectively
(Scheme 2). The directing MOM group in 15–17 was
now transformed in two steps to the corresponding
triflate functionality10 as in 18–20, respectively, for
implementing the projected intramolecular Heck reac-
tion (Scheme 2).7
Scheme 1. Reagents and conditions: (a) BTSE, TMSOTf (0.01
equiv.), DCM, −78°C, 95%; (b) O3, MeOH, −78°C, DMS,
−78°C, 60%; (c) NaBH4, MeOH, 0°C, 95%; (d) POCl3, pyri-
dine, 0°C–rt, 2 h, 50%; (e) HCl, THF, rt, 6 h, 70%.
Substrates 18–20 were now ready for effecting the
intramolecular aryl triflate–alkene cyclization8,10 and we
were cognisant of the sterically compressed nature of
the alkene moiety in these compounds. After several
trials, it was found that 20 mol% of palladium acetate
in the presence of 20% 1,3-bis(diphenylphos-
phino)propane (DPPP) in DMF effected the contem-
plated cyclization in 18–20 to furnish 21–23,
respectively (Scheme 3).10b While in the case of 18 and
19, cyclization led to the endocyclic olefinic products 21
and 22, the naphthalene derivative 20 furnished the
isopropylidene derivative 23 as the major product with
a minor amount of the endocyclic isomer (Scheme 3).7
In all the cases, products 24–26 of reductive removal of
the triflate group from 18–20 were also encountered
(Scheme 3).7 The cis-stereochemistry at the 6,5-ring
junction in 21–23 follows from the X-ray evidence (vide
synthesis.5 The cyclopentane aldehyde (−)-75 with
appropriately positioned quaternary methyl and isopro-
pyl groups, with secured stereochemical disposition,
appeared to have the structural features that matched
very well with the five-membered ring of hamigeran B 3
and thus appeared to be a good precursor for our
synthetic pursuit. Protection of the aldehyde group in 7
proved to be unexpectedly tedious but could be
achieved using 1,2-bis(trimethylsilyloxy)ethane (BTSE)
in the presence of catalytic TMSOTf to furnish the
ketal 8.6,7 Ozonolysis of 8 and reductive work-up led to
the cyclopentanone 9. Reduction of the carbonyl group
and further dehydration of the resulting alcohol trans-
formed 9 to the required endocyclic olefin 10 (Scheme
1). Removal of the protecting group in 10 delivered the
unsaturated aldehyde 11.7
t
,
Scheme 2. Reagents and conditions: (a) BuLi, hexane, 0°C, 1 h then −78°C to 0°C; (b) PDC, 4 A mol. sieves, DCM, 10 h (40%
n
for two steps); (c) 20% HCl, THF, 5 h, 80%; (d) Tf2O, pyridine, rt, 10 h, 80%; (e) BuLi, THF, −78°C, 1.5 h.

G. Mehta, H. M. Shinde / Tetrahedron Letters 44 (2003) 7049–7053
7051
Scheme 3. Reagents and conditions: (a) Pd(OAc)2 (20 mol%), DPPP (20 mol%), NEt3, DMF, 90°C, 10 h, 55–60%.
infra)11 and mechanistic considerations. Aryl triflate–
alkene cyclizations8,10 usually proceed through
‘cationic pathway’ and after the oxidative addition of
the Pd-complex into the carbon triflate bond, face-
selective addition to the alkene from the face opposite
to the angular methyl group accounts for the observed
stereochemistry.
Somewhat unexpectedly, hydrogenation of 22 occurred
exclusively from the b-face to furnish 27 with the C6
isopropyl group being epimeric with respect to
hamigeran B 3. Recourse to different catalysts and a
change in the solvent regime did not give any evidence
of formation of the desired C6 b-isopropyl isomer.
Consequently, we proceeded to complete the synthesis
of the C6-epi-hamigeran B 6 (Scheme 4).7 Selenium
dioxide oxidation of 27 was clean and delivered 28
having the requisite a-diketone functionality. The
methyl ether moiety in 28 was next deprotected to give
29 with a free hydroxyl group. Finally, bromination of
29 with NBS furnished 6-epi-hamigeran B 6, [h]D=
−220 (c 0.2, CHCl3), having spectroscopic characteris-
tics in full agreement with its formulation.7
a
Among the Heck coupling products 21–23, tricycle 22
had the requisite substitution pattern in the aryl ring
for further elaboration to hamigeran B 3. Catalytic
hydrogenation of 22 was stereoselective and a single
diastereomer 27 was obtained and its stereostructure
was elucidated through X-ray crystal structure11 deter-
mination (Scheme 4).
Scheme 4. Reagents and conditions: (a) 10% Pd/C, H2, 5 h, quant.; (b) SeO2, AcOH (cat.), aq. dioxane, reflux, 24 h, 80%; (c) BBr3,
DCM, −20°C, 5 h, 90%; (d) NBS, DIPA (cat.), DCM, 0°C, 3 h, 90%

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G. Mehta, H. M. Shinde / Tetrahedron Letters 44 (2003) 7049–7053
In summary, we have outlined an enantiospecific
approach for the construction of the tricyclic benzo-
fused hydrindane framework present in the hamigeran
marine natural products. Starting from R-(+)-limonene
as the chiron and employing the Heck coupling
between aryl triflates and an alkene embedded in a
sterically compressed environment, a synthesis of 6-epi-
(−)-hamigeran B has been accomplished. The general
strategy outlined here is being tactically adapted for the
synthesis of hamigeran natural products.
CDCl3): l 204.19, 156.60, 154.05, 148.77, 130.51, 130.23,
122.50, 107.33, 104.83, 94.57, 56.21, 55.71, 55.60, 47.06,
38.05, 31.75, 29.56, 25.81, 21.33 (2C); 16: [h]2D3=+21.8 (c
1
2.2, CHCl3); IR (cm−1) 2958, 1708, 1608; H NMR (300
MHz, CDCl3): l 6.55 (s, 1H), 6.38 (s, 1H), 5.25 (s, 1H),
5.12 (s, 2H), 3.76 (s, 3H), 3.45 (s, 3H), 2.84 (s, 2H),
2.32–2.25 (m, 3H), 2.25–2.23 (m, 3H), 1.91–1.82 (m, 1H),
1.75–1.68 (m, 1H), 1.17 (s, 3H), 0.97 (d, J=6.9 Hz, 3H),
0.96 (d, J=7.2 Hz, 3H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3): l
204.39, 156.55, 154.07, 148.70, 140.92, 130.61, 119.90,
108.01, 105.75, 94.54, 56.26, 55.68 (2C), 47.18, 38.03,
31.76, 29.59, 25.86, 22.11, 21.37 (2C); HRMS calcd for
C21H30O4 [M+Na]+: 369.2042 found: 369.2055; 17: [h]2D4=
Acknowledgements
1
+24.0 (c 1.0, CHCl3); IR (cm−1); H NMR (300 MHz,
CDCl3): l 7.84–7.75 (m, 2H), 7.71 (d, J=8.4 Hz, 1H),
7.49–7.35 (m, 3H), 5.32 (s, 1H), 5.30 (s, 2H), 3.52 (s, 3H),
3.07 (s, 2H), 2.36–2.18 (m, 3H), 1.99–1.90 (m, 1H),
1.80–1.70 (m, 1H), 1.27 (s, 3H), 0.97 (d, J=6.9Hz, 3H),
0.94 (d, J=7.2 Hz, 3H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3): l
206.95, 151.09, 149.20, 130.87, 130.35, 130.26, 129.54
(2C), 128.09, 127.29, 124.38, 123.88, 115.74, 95.11, 56.42,
55.89, 47.36, 38.03, 31.80, 29.59, 26.50, 21.33, 21.30; 21:
[h]D24=+26.3 (c 0.8, CHCl3); IR (cm−1) 2958, 1678; 1H
NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3): l 7.43 (t, J=8.1 Hz, 1H), 6.90
(d, J=7.8 Hz, 1H), 6.85 (d, J=8.4Hz, 1H), 5.40 (s, 1H),
3.90 (s, 3H), 3.63 (s, 1H), 2.82 (d1/2ABq, J=14.4 Hz,
1H), 2.37 (d1/2ABq, J=14.4 Hz, 1H), 2.23–2.15 (m, 2H),
1.63 (s, 1H), 1.25 (s, 3H), 1.11 (d, J=6.6 Hz, 3H), 0.79
(d, J=6.6 Hz, 3H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3): l
198.33, 159.22, 151.48, 145.30 (2C), 133.49, 122.20,
121.09, 109.82, 57.06, 55.94, 50.91, 45.28, 44.20, 27.16,
26.12, 22.27, 21.68; 22: [h]2D5=+145.6 (c 0.9, CHCl3); IR
One of us (H.M.S.) thanks CSIR for the award of a
research fellowship.
References
1. Faulkner, D. J. Nat. Prod. Rep. 2002, 19, 1 and earlier
contributions by the same author in this review series.
2. Wellington, K. D.; Cambie, R. C.; Rutledge, P. S.;
Bergquist, P. R. J. Nat. Prod. 2000, 63, 79.
3. Cambie, R. C.; Rickard, C. E. F.; Rutledge, P. S.;
Wellington, K. D. Acta Crystallogr. Sect. C: Crystal
Structure Commun. 2001, C57, 958.
4. (a) Nicolaou, K. C.; Gray, D.; Tae, J. Angew Chem., Int.
Ed. 2002, 40, 3675; (b) Nicolaou, K. C.; Gray, D.; Tae, J.
Angew Chem., Int. Ed. 2002, 40, 3679.
5. (a) Mehta, G.; Krishna Murthy, N.; Karra, S. R. J. Am.
Chem. Soc. 1991, 113, 5765; (b) Mehta, G.; Karra, S. R.
J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. 1991, 1367; (c) Mehta,
G.; Karra, S. R.; Krishna Murthy, N. Tetrahedron Lett.
1994, 35, 2761.
1
(cm−1) 2956, 2923, 1681; H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3): l
6.70 (s, 1H), 6.66 (s, 1H), 5.40 (s, 1H), 3.89 (s, 3H), 3.57
(s, 1H), 2.81 (d1/2ABq, J=14.1 Hz, 1H), 2.38 (s, 3H),
2.34–2.17 (m, 4H), 1.23 (s, 3H), 1.12 (d, J=7.2 Hz, 3H),
0.78 (d, J=6.6 Hz, 3H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3): l
198.42, 159.48, 151.33, 145.23, 144.51, 122.98, 121.02,
119.54, 110.67, 57.05, 55.85, 50.58, 45.19, 44.41, 27.19,
25.71, 22.29, 22.19, 21.76; HRMS calcd for C19H24O2
[M+Na]+: 307.1674 found: 307.1683; 27: mp 96.0–96.8°C;
[h]D24=−16.0 (c 0.5, CHCl3); IR (cm−1) 2952, 1676; 1H
NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3): l 6.64 (s, 1H), 6.53 (s, 1H),
3.89 (s, 3H), 2.71 (d1/2ABq, J=16.5Hz, 1H), 2.47 (d,
J=10.8 Hz, 1H), 2.36 (s, 3H), 2.27 (d1/2ABq, J=16.5
Hz, 1H), 2.05–1.88 (m, 2H), 1.76–1.44 (m, 4H), 1.06 (s,
6. Hwu, J. R.; Leu, L.-C.; Robl, J. A.; Anderson, D. A.;
Wetzel, J. M. J. Org. Chem. 1987, 52, 188.
7. All new compounds reported here were characterized on
the basis of spectroscopic data (IR, 1H and 13C NMR
and mass). Spectral data for some of the key compounds
follows. 9: [h]2D4=−98.7 (c 2.3, CHCl3); IR (cm−1) 2959,
2874, 1732; 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3): l 4.93 (t,
J=5.1 Hz, 1H), 3.98–3.74 (m, 4H), 2.20–2.14 (m, 2H),
2.03–2.00 (m, 2H), 1.86 (d, J=5.1 Hz, 2H), 1.79–1.64 (m,
2H), 0.99 (d, J=6.6 Hz, 3H), 0.96 (s, 3H), 0.81 (d, J=6.3
Hz, 3H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3): l 222.45, 102.50,
64.71, 64.35, 55.20, 46.73, 40.84, 32.98, 26.99, 21.98,
21.09, 20.43, 18.24; MS (ES): m/z [M+Na]+=249; 11:
[h]2D3=−18.0 (c 2.5, CHCl3); IR (cm−1) 2958, 2868, 2726,
1724, 1644; 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3): l 9.73 (t,
J=1.5 Hz, 1H), 5.22 (s, 1H), 2.37–2.20 (m, 5H), 1.90–
1.82 (m, 1H), 1.77–1.67 (m, 1H), 1.12 (s, 3H), 1.00 (d,
J=6.6 Hz, 6H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3): l 203.84,
150.66, 128.90, 54.84, 46.58, 37.32, 32.13, 29.61, 27.47,
21.37, 21.33; MS (70 eV, EI): m/z [(M−28)+1]+=139; 15:
[h]2D4=+23.0 (c 1.0, CHCl3); IR (cm−1) 2957, 1710, 1693,
3H), 0.97 (d, J=6.6 Hz, 3H), 0.86 (d, J=6.6 Hz, 3H); 13
C
NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3): l 197.91, 160.20, 148.15,
144.86, 122.75 (2C), 110.72, 55.86, 52.90, 52.75, 48.71,
44.51, 39.48, 27.11, 25.81, 22.53, 22.24, 22.17, 15.28;
HRMS calcd for C19H26O2 [M+Na]+: 309.1830 found:
309.1845; 28: mp 154.5–155.3°C; [h]2D5=−381.3 (c 0.8,
CHCl3); IR (cm−1) 2955, 1724, 1676; 1H NMR (300
MHz, CDCl3): l 6.72 (s, 1H), 6.64 (s, 1H), 3.93 (s, 3H),
2.70 (d, J=10.2Hz, 1H), 2.61–2.56 (m, 1H), 2.42 (s, 3H),
1.74–1.47 (m, 5H), 1.22 (s, 3H), 0.90 (d, J=6.6Hz, 3H),
0.77 (d, J=6.9Hz, 3H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3): l
200.36, 179.19, 161.83, 147.44, 147.14, 122.94, 118.63,
111.18, 57.64, 56.57, 55.99, 55.14, 33.82, 27.17, 22.49,
22.39, 21.93, 21.83, 15.58; HRMS calcd for C19H24O2
[M+Na]+: 323.1623 found: 323.1642; 6: mp 218–220°C;
[h]2D5=−220.0 (c 0.2, CHCl3); IR (cm−1) 2956, 2924, 1720;
1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3): l 12.86 (s, 1H), 6.68 (s,
1
1644; H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3): l 7.21 (t, J=8.4 Hz,
1H), 6.73 (d, J=8.4 Hz, 1H), 6.57 (d, J=8.4 Hz, 1H),
5.27 (s, 1H), 5.13 (s, 2H), 3.78 (s, 3H), 3.45 (s, 3H), 2.85
(ABq, J=16.2 Hz, 2H), 2.26–2.19 (m, 3H), 1.92–1.83 (m,
1H), 1.78–1.69 (m, 1H), 1.19 (s, 3H), 0.98 (d, J=7.2 Hz,
3H), 0.97 (d, J=6.6 Hz, 3H); 13C NMR (75 MHz,

G. Mehta, H. M. Shinde / Tetrahedron Letters 44 (2003) 7049–7053
7053
1H), 2.80–2.71 (m, 4H), 2.54 (s, 3H), 2.39 (s, 1H), 1.71–1.46
(m, 2H), 1.26 (s, 3H), 0.94 (d, J=6.6 Hz, 3H), 0.80 (d,
J=6.9Hz, 3H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3): l 198.30,
183.64, 161.42, 150.33, 143.90, 122.98, 115.58, 112.04,
59.15, 56.78, 54.93, 32.60, 26.83, 24.54, 21.89, 21.73, 21.50,
15.10; HRMS calcd for C18H21BrO3 [M+Na]+: 387.0572
found: 387.0583.
structure was solved by direct methods (SIR-92). Refine-
ment was by full-matrix least-squares procedures on F2
using SHELXL-97. The non-hydrogen atoms were refined
anisotropically whereas hydrogen atoms were refined
isotropically. Compound 27: C19H26O2, MW=286, color-
less crystal, crystal system: orthorhombic, space group
P212121: cell parameters: a=8.467 (2), b=10.089 (2),
3
,
,
c=19.267 (5) A, V=1645.97 A , Z=4, Dcalcd=1.156 g
cm−3, F(000)=624.0, v=0.07 mm−1. Total number of
least-squares parameters=294, R1=0.0506 for 2530 Fo
>4|(Fo) and 0.0736 for all 3367 data. wR2=0.1080,
GOF=1.072, restrained GOF=1.072 for all data. Crystal-
lographic data (without structure factors) have deposited
with the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Center (CCDC
212686). An ORTEP diagram of compound 27 with 50%
ellipsoidal probability is shown in Scheme 4.
8. Link, J. T. Org. React. 2002, 60, 157.
9. Winkle, M. R.; Ronald, R. C. J. Org. Chem. 1982, 47,
2101.
10. (a) Ritter, K. Synthesis 1993, 735; (b) Cabri, W.; Candiani,
I.; DeBernardinis, S.; Francalanci, F.; Penco, S. J. Org.
Chem. 1991, 56, 5796.
11. Crystal data for 27: X-ray data were collected at 293K on
a SMART CCD-BRUKER diffractometer with graphite
,
monochromated MoKa radiation (u=0.7107 A). The