Enantioselective Synthesis of 12-Amino Alkylidenecyclopentenone Prostaglandins

An enantioselective synthesis of new 12-amino alkylidenecyclopentenone prostaglandins is reported. The key step of the synthesis involved a [3.3] sigmatropic rearrangement of an asymmetric allylic cyanate to elaborate an asymmetric 5-amino-1,6-diene which was further transformed into cyclopentenone by successive ring-closing metathesis reaction catalyzed by the Grubbs reagent and one-pot oxidation. A palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction on a 5-iodo-1,5-diene allowed the synthesis of prostanoids with variable Rw side chains. These new compounds exhibit high cytotoxic activities.