Collective Synthesis of Natural Products by Using Metathesis Cascade Reactions

This account describes our laboratory's latest endeavors toward the collective synthesis of natural products. An overview of the general strategy is presented together with several total syntheses developed by our group. These examples demonstrate the power of metathesis cascade reactions and biomimetic strategies for the collective synthesis of securinega alkaloids and humulanolides. 1 Introduction 2 Collective Synthesis: A Historical Perspective 3 Collective Synthesis in Our Laboratory 3.1 Metathesis Cascade Reactions 3.2 Collective Synthesis of Securinega Alkaloids 3.3 Collective Synthesis of Humulanolides 3.3.1. Total Synthesis of Racemic Asteriscunolide D 3.3.2. Asymmetric Total Syntheses of Humulanolides 4 Conclusions and Outlook