Project NewSMARTSynthesis should bring cutting edge contributions to the art and science of organic synthesis, through both synthetic accomplishments and methodological developments. Important breakthroughs in strategy and tactics of organic synthesis should be demonstrated by innovative, unified, enantioselective total syntheses of several natural products currently designated as the most challenging synthetic targets: polycyclic, topologically and stereochemically complex diterpenes (e.g. waihoensene, conidiogenone B) and indole alkaloids (e.g. rauvomine B, alstonlarsine A). These compounds will be synthetized for the first time, or by syntheses considerably shorter (and more efficient), as compared to the current state of the art accomplishments. Important methodological breakthroughs are expected to bring about two novel methods for cyclization of vinyl radicals and unsaturated esters. This will be achieved by photoredox- and cooperative organo/photoredox catalysis, respectively, and aims at the development of a new generation catalysts integrating several functions within a single molecule.
The synthetic efforts should give rise to a number (a small library) of bioactive compounds, with a range of biological activities of interest for medicinal, pharmaceutical chemistry and chemical biology.
The impact of the proposed research would be multifaceted, of interest and relevance for researchers, teachers and students in the fields of organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and interdisciplinary fields. The Project results should represent the fundamental scientific contribution, durable and pertinent to the aforementioned research fields well after the Project termination. Potential applications involve synthesis of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals.