Nov 2, 2005 ... Ergot Alkaloids. • Isolated from the dry sclerotium of the fungus Claviceps
purpurea (ergot), a parasite that grows on grains. • Modern sources ...
Ergot Alkaloid Syntheses
(a.k.a., “crappy hippy”) 2 November 2005
Ergot Alkaloids • • • •
Isolated from the dry sclerotium of the fungus Claviceps purpurea (ergot), a parasite that grows on grains. Modern sources include isolation from field-cultivated ergot, semisynthesis, and fermentation of the fungus Secale cornutum. Most biologically-active agents are amides or peptides of lysergic acid. Methylation of the indole nitrogen increases serotonin-antagonistic effect of the drug. O
HO
H N
Me H
Me N H
HO H
N H Lysergic Acid
N H Elymoclavine
N O
OH O Me O N
Me H
N O H
Ergotamine (Gynergen) Treatment of Migraines
HO Me N H
N H
H
N H
O
H N
Me H
N H
Ergonovine Uterine Contractions
History & Ergot Alkaloids
•
Many ailments have been linked to ergot alkaloids. – St. Anthony’s Fire (a.k.a., “Devil’s curse”, gangrenous ergotism) – Convulsive ergotism (delirium, epileptic-type seizures)
• • • • • • •
Historically, ergot was thought to be a normal part of rye. Wet, rainy weather is particularly conducive to ergot growth. Rye was mostly consumed by poor. (ergo, …) True cause of ergotism not discovered until 19th century. Ergot attributed to witch trials (yes, Salem circa 1691). In the middle ages, some instances of the black plague may have actually been ergotism. Last great epidemic occurred in 1926-1927, in certain areas of southern Russia.
O
O
The LSD Story
H
N
N
N
Me H
N Coramine
• • • •
LSD
Discovered by Albert Hofmann (Sandoz Co., Basel, CH). Worked under Arthur Stoll, who had interests in foxglove (Digitalis), Mediterranean squill (Scilla maritima), and ergot of rye (Claviceps purpurea or Secale cornutum). LSD-25 (Lysergsäure-diäthylamid) was first synthesized in 1938. “I had planned the synthesis of this compound with the intention of obtaining a circulatory and respiratory stimulant (an analeptic). Such stimulating properties could be expected for lysergic acid diethylamide, because it shows similarity in chemical structure to the analeptic already known at that time, namely nicotinic acid diethylamide (Coramine). During the testing of LSD-25 in the pharmacological department of Sandoz, whose director at the time was Professor Ernst Rothlin, a strong effect on the uterus was established. It amounted to some 70 percent of the activity of ergobasine. The research report also noted, in passing, that the experimental animals became restless during the narcosis. The new substance, however, aroused no special interest in our pharmacologists and physicians; testing was therefore discontinued.“ See “LSD: My Problem Child”, by A. Hofmann (http://nepenthes.lycaeum.org/Drugs/LSD/ProbChild/)
N H
The LSD Story, continued… • •
•
•
LSD-25 synthesized again in 1943. In the process of recrystallizing the product: “Last Friday, April 16,1943, I was forced to interrupt my work in the laboratory in the middle of the afternoon and proceed home, being affected by a remarkable restlessness, combined with a slight dizziness. At home I lay down and sank into a not unpleasant intoxicated-like condition, characterized by an extremely stimulated imagination. In a dreamlike state, with eyes closed (I found the daylight to be unpleasantly glaring), I perceived an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors. After some two hours this condition faded away.“ Then decided to experiment…took 0.25 mg of the tartrate in 10 mL of water. After 40 min., “…difficulty in concentration, visual disturbances, marked by desire to laugh … great difficulty in speaking coherently, my field of vision swayed before me … I had the impression of being unable to move from the spot … all objects appeared in unpleasant, constantly changing colors, the predominant shades being sickly green and blue … a remarkable feature was the manner in which all accoustic perceptions were transformed into optical effects…” And the rest (Timothy Leary, Beatles, etc.) is history…
Ergot Alkaloid Biosynthetic Precursors HO2C
OH OH
via
R-mevalonic acid O HO
H N
Me H
HO
N
Me H
NH2 Me
H N H Lysergic Acid
N H Elymoclavine
S
CO2H methionine H NH2 CO2H
N H L-tryptophan Tetrahedron 1976, 32, 873-912
O O O P O P O O O farnesyl pyrophosphate
Lysergic Acid Total Syntheses (a lot) • • • • • • • • • • • •
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1954, 76, 5256; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1956, 78, 3087 (Woodward). Tetrahedron Lett. 1969, 1569 (Julia). Tetrahedron Lett. 1976, 4311; Tetrahedron Lett. 1981, 157 (Armstrong). Helv. Chim. Acta 1981, 64, 478 (Oppolzer). Heterocycles 1982, 19, 2279 (Kiguchi). Tetrahedron Lett. 1983, 24, 859; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1984, 106, 1813 (Rebek). Chem. Pharm. Bull. 1986, 34, 442 (Kurihara). Tetrahedron Lett. 1988, 29, 3117 (Ortar). Synlett 1994, 487 (Vollhardt). Org. Lett. 2004, 6, 3 (Hendrickson). J. Org. Chem. 2004, 69, 5993 (Szántay)—essentially the same as Woodward’s. Also approaches to the skeleton by Padwa (J. Org. Chem. 1995, 60, 2704), Martin (RCM: Tetrahedron Lett. 2001, 1635; VMR: Acc. Chem. Res. 2002, 35, 895), Mann (Synlett 1995, 27), many others.
Primer on Indole Syntheses There are many ways to generate indoles. But among my favorites (and most famous) is: • Fisher Indole Synthesis (Borsche-Drechsel Cyclization): N H
NH2
+
Me
H O
ZnCl2 N H
O
Woodward Synthesis of Lysergic Acid
H
HO
N
Me H
N H
CO2Et
N H
HO
O
Br
O
N Bz
O
1. SOCl2 Et2O 2. AlCl3 CS2
Br2 or Py*HBr N Bz
O
O
N Bz NHMe MeNH2
O O N
NHMe
Me MeHN
O
N Bz
N Bz
O HO
Woodward
H N
Me H
N H
O
O
O
Pd/C p-cymene
HCl/H2O
N H
N H
N Bz
HO
Pd/C p-cymene
N Bz
O HO
Woodward
H N
Me H
N H
NH2 O
O
1. pTsONH2 2. KOEt N Bz
3. H+ / H2O
N Bz
Neber rearrangement
O EtO H NaOMe
O
HO
HN
O
H
O
CN O
HN3, TFA, H2SO4 Schmidt reaction N Bz
N Bz MINOR (desired)
N Bz MAJOR
O HO
Woodward O N
O
Me
H H
MeNH2 100 °C
Me
H N
O
O OMe
N Bz
N Bz
N Bz RCO3H
O
OMe
O
O
O 1. MeO N Bz
Br , Zn
2. HCO2H Reformatsky reaction
N Bz
1. 2. 3. 4.
HO
N OH
Me
Br
NaOH/H2O (COCl)2, PhMe CH2N2, CH2Cl2 HBr, H2O
O
N Bz O
NaBH4
O RCO3H
MeNH2 LOW YIELD N Bz
N Bz
N
Me H
N H
O
OMe O
H
N Bz
O HO
Woodward
H N
Me H
N H
O
H2N
OEt
HN
O
O EtO N Bz
O
Cl
O
KOtBu Darzens condensation
N Bz
1. NaOH/H2O 2. PyHBr3 O NH2 H2N N H
N
H
N Bz O OH O
NC can't remove acetal because of neighboring basic nitrogen (generation of the stabilized cation is hindered by the presence of positive nitrogen atom)
O O HO
N
Me 1. ethylene glycol pTsOH 2. PhCO3H 3. MeNH2 4. acrylonitrile
N Bz " ... brutal means led only to deep-seated changes of no utility"
O H
N Bz
O HO
Woodward O O
O
HO
H
1. H2O2 2. NaBH4
O H N
N OH Me
Me
HO
low yield N Bz
N Bz
N Bz NaIO4 H+
O Br
O
O
O
O H N
N Me
Me
O
NONPOLAR SOLVENT N Bz
N
Me H
N H
O O
H
N Bz 11 steps from original ketone
O HO
Woodward Endgame
H N
Me H
N H
O
O O N
Me
N
O
Me
N
Me
O
O
N H
N H
N Bz
N
Me
1. Ac2O 2. NaBH4
NaOMe EtOH
6 N HCl
HO
N Ac SOCl2 SO2 (l)
O HO
O N
Me
N H
HO Raney-Ni (heat deact.) NaHAsO4 H2O
N
NC
Me 1. H2SO4 MeOH 2. NaOH H2O N H
N
Me
Cl
N
Me
NaCN HCN (l) N Ac
N Ac
O HO
Oppolzer
H N
Me H
N H
HO
N Ts
1. CBr4, PPh3 2. PBu3, PhH 3. NaH, DMSO then
CO2Me
OHC
Nef reaction
CO2Me
N H
N Ts
CO2Me
1. NaOMe MeOH 2. TiCl3 NH4OAc H2NOMe
1. NaOH MeOH 2. nitroethene
CO2Me
MeO2C N OMe
N
OMe
200 °C
retro Diels-Alder imino Diels-Alder N H 1. MeOSO2F 2. Al/Hg 3. KOH, EtOH
N H
O HO
N
Me
N H
NO2
O HO
Padwa Approach O 1. O3, NaBH4 2. MnO2 3. Ph3PCH2 N Bz
N Bz
Cl
N Bz
OMe
MsN3 Et3N
O
N2
O O
NMe
NMe O
Rh2(pfb)4
H
O
O MeO HO
O
MeO
H N Bz
N Bz
BF3*OEt2
OMe O
OMe
pfb = perfluorobutyrate O
O S
NMe
1. H
Cl
MeO
O NMe
OPh
2. nBu3SnH/AIBN
H
Barton-McCombie N Bz
N Bz
N
Me H
N H
O
MeN
OH 1. H2CrO4 2. (imid)2CO 3. MeNH2 O O 4.
H