Directed Hydrogenations and an Ireland-Claisen Rearrangement Linked to Evans-Tishchenko Chemistry: The Highly Efficient Total Synthesis of the Marine Cyclodepsipeptide Doliculide

Two new convergent total syntheses have been developed for the cytotoxic, actin microfilament-stabilizing marine cyclodepsipeptide doliculide (1). A key strategic element of both routes is the establishment of the central stereogenic center of the characteristic polydeoxypropionate stereotriad by means of a hydroxyl-directed catalytic hydrogenation of a trisubstituted double bond. The requisite olefin substrates were obtained through a modified Suzuki-Miyaura coupling or through Ireland-Claisen rearrangement of a propionate ester, respectively; the latter was the direct result of a highly selective Evans-Tishchenko reduction of a hydroxy ketone that had been obtained in a stereoselective Paterson aldol reaction. Doliculide (1) was finally obtained in a total number of 17 or 15 (14) linear steps, respectively, which represents a substantial improvement over previous syntheses of this highly bioactive natural product.