Strategic elements in computer-assisted retrosynthesis: A case study of the pupukeanane natural products

Computer-assisted synthesis planning represents a growing area of research, especially for complex molecule synthesis. Here, we present a case study involving the pupukeanane natural products, which are complex, marine-derived, natural products with unique tricyclic scaffolds. Proposed routes to members of each skeletal class informed by pathways generated using the program SynthiaT are compared to previous syntheses of these molecules. In addition, novel synthesis routes are proposed to pupukeanane congeners that have not been prepared previously. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Computer-assisted synthesis planning is an emerging research area, particularly for complex molecule synthesis. This study presents a case study on pupukeanane natural products, which are complex, marine-derived compounds with unique tricyclic scaffolds. The authors compare proposed synthesis routes generated using the program SynthiaT with previous syntheses of these molecules and propose novel synthesis routes for previously unprepared pupukeanane congeners.