Development of new synthetic methods using oxiranyl anions and application in the syntheses of polycyclic ether marine natural products

Abstract

This review reports on the development of new synthetic methods using oxiranyl anions and their application to the synthesis of polycyclic ether marine natural products. Novel iterative and convergent methods for large, complex polycyclic ether structures have been devised. In these, the reactions of sulfonyl-stabilized oxiranyl anions were employed to construct trans-fused polyether ring systems, along with 6-endo cyclization and ring expansion reactions. Total syntheses of polycyclic ether marine toxins, viz. hemibrevetoxin B, gambierol, and gymnocin-A, were achieved based on the oxiranyl anion strategy developed.