The first enantioselective synthesis of (−)-pallavicinin and (+)-neopallavicinin has been achieved in 15 steps. The described synthesis avoids protecting-group manipulations by synthesis designs predicated on highly chemo- and stereoselective transformations. Highlights of the synthesis include a palladium-catalyzed enantioselective decarboxylative allylation to form the chiral all-carbon quaternary stereocenter, a palladium-catalyzed oxidative cyclization to assemble the [3.2.1]-bicyclic moiety, and an unprecedented LiBHEt₃-induced fragmentation/protonation of an α-hydroxy epoxide to form the α-furan ketone with the desired configuration.

The first enantioselective synthesis of (−)-pallavicinin and (+)-neopallavicinin has been achieved in 15 steps. The described synthesis avoids protecting-group manipulations by synthesis designs predicated on highly chemo- and stereoselective transformations. Highlights of the synthesis include a palladium-catalyzed enantioselective decarboxylative allylation to form the chiral all-carbon quaternary stereocenter, a palladium-catalyzed oxidative cyclization to assemble the [3.2.1]-bicyclic moiety, and an unprecedented LiBHEt₃-induced fragmentation/protonation of an α-hydroxy epoxide to form the α-furan ketone with the desired configuration.

The catalytic asymmetric total syntheses of (−)-galanthamine (1) and (−)-lycoramine (2) have been achieved by using a conceptually new strategy featuring two metal-catalyzed reactions as the key steps. A new method for the construction of 3,4-fused benzofurans has been developed through a palladium-catalyzed intramolecular Larock annulation reaction, which was successfully applied to the construction of the ABD tricyclic skeleton of 1 and 2. To achieve the asymmetric synthesis of 1 and 2, a Sc^III/N,N′-dioxide complex was used to catalyze the enantioselective conjugate addition of 3-alkyl-substituted benzofuranone to methyl vinyl ketone for the construction of a chiral quaternary carbon center.

The catalytic asymmetric total syntheses of (−)-galanthamine (1) and (−)-lycoramine (2) have been achieved by using a conceptually new strategy featuring two metal-catalyzed reactions as the key steps. A new method for the construction of 3,4-fused benzofurans has been developed through a palladium-catalyzed intramolecular Larock annulation reaction, which was successfully applied to the construction of the ABD tricyclic skeleton of 1 and 2. To achieve the asymmetric synthesis of 1 and 2, a Sc^III/N,N′-dioxide complex was used to catalyze the enantioselective conjugate addition of 3-alkyl-substituted benzofuranone to methyl vinyl ketone for the construction of a chiral quaternary carbon center.

A full account of the concise total syntheses of dictyodendrins B and E, and the formal synthesis of dictyodendrin C are described. A palladium-catalysed Larock indole synthesis was used to form the highly substituted indole core, and a palladium-mediated one-pot consecutive Buchwald–Hartwig amination/C–H activation reaction was used to construct the key pyrrolo[2,3-c]carbazole core. Unsuccessful synthetic strategies are also discussed.

In this article, the total syntheses of antimalarial compound decursivine and its biologically inactive sibling serotobenine are presented. The biomimetic synthesis of (±)-serotobenine was investigated first, but failed. During the subsequent investigation of other synthetic routes, we discovered a new cascade Witkop photocyclization/elimination/addition sequence, which enabled the expedient synthesis of not only racemic decursivine and serotobenine, but also enantiopure (+)- and (−)-decursivine and a variety of their analogues. The present syntheses represent the shortest pathway for the total synthesis of decursivine and serotobenine to date. Moreover, the newly developed cascade sequence for the total synthesis of decursivine does not need any protecting steps. The scope and the reaction mechanism of the cascade sequence were also studied. A rational mechanism for the cascade sequence is proposed, which is consistent with the previous studies and our current experimental results.

A new family of artificial transcription factor (ATF)-based conjugates have been designed and synthesized as potent chemical nucleases. Polyamides as the important and efficient ATFs were used to modify and activate several anchor compounds. The results demonstrate that the resulting conjugates remarkably promote the rate accelerations and non-random double-strand DNA cleavage activity. Interestingly, the cleavage activity of both the hydrolytic and oxidative agents was promoted efficiently through the modification of the ATFs.