Synthetic Studies Toward Selected Members of the Pyrrole-imidazole Alkaloids: Axinellamine, Konbu’acidin and Palau' amine

Abstract

The pyrrole imidazole alkaloids (PIA) is an ever-growing family of structurally related natural products isolated from several species of sponges which now features more than one hundred memebrs. Their complex molecular architectures, and in some cases, significant biological activities, have made these alkaloids the synthetic targets of a number of research groups across the world. In our approach, following early biosynthetic proposal by Kinnel and Scheuer and Al-Mourabit and Potier, it was envisioned that several of these alkaloids, namely palau’amine, axinellamine, konbu’acidin, styloguanidine and massadine, could be derived from a common chlorocyclopentane precursor through different modes of intramolecular cyclization. Building on the work done previously in our research group by Dr. Anja Dilley, Dr. Paul Dransfield, and Dr. Shaohui Wang, my investigations led to the synthesis of the angular aza-triquinane core of axinellamine and the peculiar transazabicyclo[ 3.3.0]octane core of palau’amine. In my further studies mono- and bis-pyrrole advanced intermediates were synthesized that contain the complete carbon framework of the target natural products. However, attempts to induce the pivotal, potentially biomimetic cyclizations expected to deliver the cores of the target alkaloids proved to be rather challenging, resulting in inconsistent and irreproducible results and leading to the exploration of an alternative, “abiotic” approach. My efforts in this direction resulted in the synthesis of a pentacyclic enamine precursor to styloguanidine and a pentacyclic carbinolamine suitable for the synthesis of palau’amine. Final attempts to complete the target natural products were however unsuccessful.