10.1016/j.tet.2010.03.096
The research explores a novel synthetic strategy for rapidly constructing the core structures of various natural products using the concept of aromatic ring umpolung. The purpose of this study is to develop a versatile and efficient method for synthesizing complex natural product cores by leveraging the reactivity inversion of aromatic rings, specifically through the formation of phenoxenium ions using hypervalent iodine reagents such as (diacetoxyiodo)benzene (DIB). The researchers demonstrate that these highly electrophilic intermediates can react with various nucleophiles, leading to a range of different cores found in natural products through oxidative processes. Key findings include the successful synthesis of tricyclic compounds via a formal [2+3] cycloaddition with furan, the oxidative addition of carbon-based nucleophiles to create quaternary carbon centers, and the development of an oxidative transposition process to generate highly functionalized cores. The study concludes that these methodologies offer rapid access to complex natural product cores, significantly reducing the number of synthetic steps required. This approach not only provides a powerful tool for the synthesis of natural products like panacene, mesembrine, and aspidospermidine but also opens up new strategic opportunities in chemical synthesis by transforming simple phenols into highly functionalized structures.