US scientists have reported the preparation and synthetic applications of sulfinimines derived from benzoquinone monoketals. The method provides the first direct access to a variety of enantioenriched 4-aminocyclohexadienones, which possess synthetic handles for further elaboration to alkaloid natural products, say the researchers.
They demonstrated the the utility of the method in a short, enantioselective total synthesis of the natural product 3-demethoxyerythratidinone.
Read more:
Benzoquinone-derived sulfinyl imines as versatile intermediates for alkaloid synthesis: Total synthesis of (–)-3-demethoxyerythratidinone
K V Chuang, R Navarro and S E Reisman, Chem. Sci., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/c1sc00095k
