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January 2009
September 2008
- Mélissa Arbour strikes again and has finished the
synthesis of (-)-adaline. She did it in 3 weeks! Of course, the
synthesis is similar to that of euphococcinine but it shows you how
efficient it is.
- David Gagnon has finished the synthesis of the
most complexe alkaloids to date in my lab, (+)-aspidofractinine. There
is controversy as to the absolute configuration of the natural product
now because the same structure is (-)-aspidofractinine in the
literature. We may have to correct that result dating back to the 70's.
- The photochemical rearrangement of
N-mesyloxylactams is general! We are trying to publish it as we speak.
Mai 2008
- Mélissa Arbour has completed the total synthesis
of (+)-euphococcinine. She is polishing the synthesis and optimizing some
yields as we speak. We should publish it soon. Hum, strange, the lab is
full of ladybugs since yesterday...
- Amélie Dion was successful in designing an
enantioselective version of her synthesis. She is attempting the first
ascent to the summit. We're all holding are breath.
- Patrice Arpin has found that our
Prins-under-basic-conditions gives very different results in
polycyclisation than the normal Prins. We're writing a paper now.
February 2008
- Alexandre Drouin is making a second MsO- amide and
is zapping it with light. The first one he made gave a 70% yield of
rearrangement, much better than the N-chloroamide. Dana Winter is also
making examples. If this is general, we'll be rich and famous !
(well...)
- Francis Beaumier has finished the work on the
mechanism of the 4+1 cycloaddition. It is not only concerted, it's a 4+1
folks. I told you so! Now, let's stay calm: the ionic pathway is
available and often competes. Plus, the cyclopropanation / rearrangement
could still be operative. It's a damn difficult problem to solve. Watch
Org. Lett. ASAP.
- François Tremblay has finished pumiliotoxin C
(formal synthesis, he's finishing now the two known missing steps). A
radical cyclization gives 30% yield though and we've been working hard
to prop it up.
- David Gagnon has finished aspidofractinine. He's
going back to polish some steps and perhaps find some shortcuts. Good
job!
October 2007
- Amélie Dion strikes again! She has installed the
C8 methyl group on the quassinoid framework using a cuprate on an
allylic sulfonium salt. That was the last hurdle. We should complete a
target relatively soon now.
- Mélissa Arbour has succeeded in making a
quaternary center with a Claisen rearrangement. You think it's easy?
Think again. Euphococcinine, here she comes.
- Jasmin Douville has found a beautiful way of using
an enamide he had made, rather unexpectedly we should say. It might
actually turn out to be a great advantage in his synthesis of
daphniphylline.
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