10.1039/b901670h
The research details two complementary chemoenzymatic strategies for the synthesis of both enantiomers of febrifugine, an antimalarial compound. The first approach starts from cyanohydrin, which undergoes reductive cyclization and subsequent reactions to introduce the quinazolone-containing side chain, leading to (+)-febrifugine. Key chemicals involved include cyanohydrin, allylsilane, LiAlH4 for reduction, Boc and MOM groups for protection, mCPBA for epoxidation, and isatoic anhydride for the introduction of the anthranilic acid moiety. The second strategy begins with allysine ethylene acetal, which is converted into the corresponding N,O-acetal and then reacts with 2-(chloromethyl)allylsilane and quinazolone to form the febrifugine skeleton, eventually yielding ent-febrifugine after several transformations. This route involves allysine ethylene acetal, BF3·OEt2 for activation, quinazolone as a nucleophile, and osmium tetroxide and sodium periodate for oxidative cleavage. Both strategies demonstrate the versatility of chemoenzymatic methods in constructing complex natural products and provide pathways for the synthesis of febrifugine analogues.