gem-Diacetates as Carbonyl Surrogates for Asymmetric Synthesis. Total Syntheses of Sphingofungins E and F

The equivalent of an asymmetric addition to a carbonyl group with a stabilized anion is accomplished by discriminating between the enantiotopic C-O single bonds of a gem-diacetate. In this way, enantioselective total syntheses of two antifugal agents, sphingofungins E and F, have been accomplished. The synthetic strategy is based on a series of catalytic processes whereby all of the chiral centers are created with high stereoselectivities. The first two stereocenters are introduced by an asymmetric allylic alkylation reaction of gem-diacetate 9 with azlactone 10. The complex of Pd(0) and ligand 14 efficiently catalyzes this key reaction, which differentiates both the enantiotopic leaving groups of a gem-diacetate and enantiotopic faces of the enolate of an azlactone in high enantiomeric excess and diastereomeric excess. From these two stereocenters, the configurations of the remaining two centers are set by a diastereoselective Os(VIII)-catalyzed dihydroxylation reaction with excellent stereocontrol. The trans-alkene is established by Cr(II)-mediated olefination, and a subsequent B-alkyl Suzuki coupling reaction conjoins the polar head unit and the nonpolar, 13-carbon lipid tail. The efficiency of our strategy is illustrated by the completion of syntheses of sphingofungins F and E in 15 and 17 steps, and in 17% and 5% overall yields, respectively.