Person:

Milgram, Benjamin Charles

Total syntheses of HMP-Y1, atrop-HMP-Y1, hibarimicinone, atrop-hibarimicinone, and HMP-P1 are described using a two-directional synthesis strategy. A novel benzyl fluoride Michael–Claisen reaction sequence was developed to construct the complete carbon skeleton of HMP-Y1 and atrop-HMP-Y1 via a symmetrical, two-directional, double annulation. Through efforts to convert HMP-Y1 derivatives to hibarimicinone and HMP-P1, a biomimetic mono-oxidation to desymmetrize protected HMP-Y1 was realized. A two-directional unsymmetrical double annulation and biomimetic etherification were developed to construct the polycyclic and highly-oxidized skeleton of hibarimicinone, atrop-hibarimicinone, and HMP-P1. The use of a racemic biaryl precursor allowed for the synthesis of both hibarimicinone atropisomers and provides the first confirmation of the structure of atrop-hibarimicinone. Additionally, this work documents the first reported full characterization of atrop-hibarimicinone, HMP-Y1, atrop-HMP-Y1, and HMP-P1. Lastly, a pH-dependent rotational barrier about the C2–C2' bond of hibarimicinone was discovered, which provides valuable information necessary to achieve syntheses of the glycosylated congeners of hibarimicinone.

A gram-scale enantiospecific synthesis of the A’B’-subunit of angelmicin B is reported. The synthesis involves a Lewis acid-catalyzed contrasteric Diels–Alder reaction and a tandem silyl zincate 1,6-addition/enolate oxidation sequence.