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Ladderane Natural Products: From the Ground Up
Erin N Hancock1, M Kevin Brown1
1Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN, 47401, USA.
Chemistry (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|January 19, 2021
Summary
Ladderanes are natural products with unique cyclobutane structures. This review highlights novel synthetic strategies and challenges in creating these complex molecules.
Area of Science:
- Organic Chemistry
- Natural Product Synthesis
Background:
- Ladderanes are a class of natural products characterized by linearly concatenated cyclobutane rings.
- Their discovery in 2002 has spurred significant interest in their chemical synthesis due to their unique carbocyclic framework.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and showcase novel synthetic tactics employed for constructing the ladderane core.
- To discuss the inherent challenges associated with synthesizing these complex and unusual natural products.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of reported chemical syntheses of ladderane natural products.
- Analysis of innovative methodologies for generating the ladderane skeletal structure.
Main Results:
- Identification of diverse and novel strategies for ladderane core construction.
- Elucidation of key synthetic challenges, including stereocontrol and ring formation.
Conclusions:
- The synthesis of ladderanes remains a challenging yet active area of research in organic chemistry.
- Continued development of synthetic methodologies is crucial for accessing these unique natural products and their analogs.
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