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University of Pennsylvania

Towards the Total Synthesis of Spirastrellolide E: Investigations into Advanced Southern Hemisphere Fragments

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

This dissertation describes progress towards the synthesis of spirastrellolide E, a potent cytotoxic marine macrolide. In particular, the synthesis of advanced southern hemisphere fragments is reported. Chapter 1 details the isolation, structural determination, and biological activity of the spirastrellolide family, as well as synthetic efforts towards members of the family. Chapter 2 describes the evolution of the Smith group synthetic strategy towards the spirastrellolides, details the choice of target for a total synthesis effort, and describes a successful first generation approach to a relevant advanced southern hemisphere fragment. Key steps involve a convergent Type I Anion Relay Chemistry (ARC) union and a gold catalyzed directed spiroketalization. Chapter 3 then revises the overall retrosynthetic analysis by proposing a novel strategy for hemisphere union, involving a cross metathesis/epoxidation/epoxide ring opening cascade, and describes the synthesis of more than 500 mg of a revised southern hemisphere fragment. In addition, the mechanism of the key directed gold catalyzed spiroketalization is discussed in detail. A stereochemical rationale for diverging outcomes during spiroketalization is described.

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Sokolsky, Alexander
Advisor dc:contributor.advisor
  • Amos B. Smith

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • Alexander Sokolsky
Language dc:language
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier.uri
https://repository.upenn.edu/handle/20.500.14332/27922
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:repository.upenn.edu:20.500.14332/27922

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University of Pennsylvania
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Last updated
2026-07-24
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citation

Sokolsky, Alexander. Towards the Total Synthesis of Spirastrellolide E: Investigations into Advanced Southern Hemisphere Fragments. 2015. https://repository.upenn.edu/handle/20.500.14332/27922