A mild and divergent route for the synthesis of alkyl ethers from methoxymethyl (MOM) and methoxyethyl (ME) ether derivatives via pyridinium-type salt intermediates has been developed. The addition of organocuprates to the salts afforded the corresponding alkyl ethers, including highly crowded ones, in high yields even in the presence of acid- or base-sensitive functional groups.

A route for the asymmetric synthesis of (−)-stenine, a member of the Stemona alkaloid family used as folk medicine in Asian countries, is described. The key features of the sequence employed include stereoselective transformations on a cyclohexane ring controlled by a chiral auxiliary unit and an intramolecular Mitsunobu reaction to construct the perhydroindole ring system. By using an intermediate in the route to (−)-stenine, an asymmetric synthesis of 9a-epi-stenine was also executed. The C(9a) stereocenter in 9a-epi-stenine was installed by using a Staudinger/aza-Wittig reaction of a keto–azide precursor followed by reduction of the resulting imine. The results of this effort demonstrate the applicability of the chiral auxiliary based strategy to the preparation of naturally occurring alkaloids that contain highly functionalized cyclohexane cores.

A method for conducting enantioselective bromolactonization reactions of trisubstituted alkenoic acids, using the C₃-symmetric trisimidazoline 1 and 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethyl hydantoin as a bromine source, has been developed. The process generates chiral δ-lactones that contain a quaternary carbon. The results of studies probing geometrically different olefins show that (Z)-olefins rather than (E)-olefins are favorable substrates for the process. The method is not only applicable to acyclic olefin reactants but can also be employed to transform cyclic trisubstituted olefins into chiral spirocyclic lactones. Finally, the synthetic utility of the newly developed process is demonstrated by its application to a concise synthesis of tanikolide, an antifungal marine natural product.

The effects of phosphorus substituents on the reactivity of α-alkoxyphosphonium salts with nucleophiles has been explored. Reactions of α-alkoxyphosphonium salts, prepared from various acetals and tris(o-tolyl)phosphine, with a variety of nucleophiles proceeded efficiently. These processes represent the first examples of high-yielding nucleophilic substitution reactions of α-alkoxyphosphonium salts. The reactivity of these salts was determined by a balance between steric and electronic factors, respectively, represented by cone angles θ and CO stretching frequencies ν (steric and electronic parameters, respectively). In addition, a novel reaction of α-alkoxyphosphonium salts derived from Ph₃P with Grignard reagents was observed to take place in the presence of O₂ to afford alcohols in good yields. A radical mechanism is proposed for this process that has gained support from isotope-labeling and radical-inhibition experiments.

Nucleophilic substitution at the anomeric positions of tetrahydropyranyl (THP) and related carbohydrate-derived esters that proceeded through pyridinium-type salt intermediates have been developed. Treatment of the 6-substituted α-acetoxy-tetrahydropyrans with TMSOTf (TMS=trimethylsilyl) and 2-substitutited pyridines, such as 2-p-tolylpyridine and 2-methoxypyridine, led to the efficient generation of cis-pyridinium-type salts. These salts reacted with various nucleophiles, such as alcohols, azides, and organozinc reagents, to form nucleophilic-substitution products. A characteristic feature of these processes was that they took place under mild conditions, which did not affect acid-labile protecting groups. Furthermore, the reactions that employed azides and C-nucleophiles generated 2,6-trans products with high degrees of stereoselectivity.

Mild substitution reactions of acetals with carbon nucleophiles via the pyridinium-type salts generated by the treatment of acetals with TESOTf-2,4,6-collidine or 2,2′-bipyridyl have been developed. Various carbon nucleophiles, such as organocuprates, silyl enol ethers, enamines, etc., reacted with the pyridinium-type salts to give the corresponding substituted products in good yields. The reactions proceeded under very mild conditions (non-acidic conditions) and thus acid-sensitive functional groups can be tolerated during the reaction. In addition, only an acetal can form the pyridinium-type salt and react with nucleophiles in the presence of a ketal. This unusual selectivity is in contrast to general methods conducted under acidic conditions.