Nature synthesizes many diverse polycyclic, stereodense natural products. Such molecules are also often the targets of laboratory syntheses. We are exploring the mechanisms of key cascade reactions used both in biosyntheses and biomimetic laboratory syntheses of many complex natural products - representative examples are shown above.
Gutta, P.; Tantillo, D. J. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2005, 44, 2719-2723: "Proton Sandwiches: Nonclassical Carbocations with 4-Coordinate Protons." This article was highlighted in the "Science Concentrates" section of the May 2, 2005 issue of C&EN.
Ho, G. A.; Nouri, D. Tantillo, D. J. J. Org. Chem. 2005, 70, 5139-5143: "The Cationic Cascade Route to Longifolene"
Nouri, D. H.; Tantillo, D. J. Curr. Org. Chem. 2006, 10, 2055-2074: "They Came from the Deep: Syntheses, Applications, and Biology of Ladderanes"
Gutta, P.; Tantillo, D. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 6172-6179: "Theoretical Studies of Farnesyl Cation Cyclization: Pathways to Pentalenene"
Hong, Y. J.; Tantillo, D. J. Org. Lett. 2006, 8, 4601-4604: "Which is More Likely in Trichodiene Biosynthesis: Hydride or Proton Transfer?"
Gutta, P.; Tantillo, D. J. Org. Lett. 2007, 9, 1069-1071: "A Promiscuous Proton in Taxadiene Biosynthesis?"
Willenbring, D.; Tantillo, D. J. Russ. J. Gen. Chem. 2008, 78, 723-731 (Rossiiskii Khimicheskii Zhurnal 2007, 51, 49-55): "Mechanistic Possibilities for Oxetane Formation in the Biosynthesis of Taxol's D Ring"
Wang, S. C.; Tantillo, D. J. J. Org. Chem. 2008, 73, 1516-1523: "Theoretical Studies on Synthetic and Biosynthetic Oxidopyrylium–Alkene Cycloadditions. Pericyclic Pathways to Intricarene"
Tantillo, D. J. J. Phys. Org. Chem. 2008, 21, 561-570: "Recent Excursions to the Lands between Concerted and Stepwise: From Natural Products Biosynthesis to Reaction Design"
Lodewyk, M. W.; Gutta, P. G.; Tantillo, D. J. J. Org. Chem. 2008, in press: “Computational Studies on Biosynthetic Carbocation Rearrangements Leading to Sativene, Cyclosativene, alpha-Ylangene, and beta-Ylangene"
