Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.137, No.48, 15225-15233, 2015
Syntheses of Dimeric Tetrahydroxanthones with Varied Linkages: Investigation of "Shapeshifting" Properties
The 2,4'- and 4,4'-linked variants of the cytotoxic agent secalonic acid A and their analogues have been synthesized. Kinetic resolution of an unprotected tetrahydroxanthone scaffold followed by copper-mediated biaryl coupling allowed for efficient access to these compounds. Evaluation of the "shapeshifting" properties of 2,2'-, 2,4'-, and 4,4'-linked variants of the secalonic acids A in a polar solvent in conjunction with assays of the compounds against select cancer cell lines was conducted to study possible correlations between linkage variation and cytotoxicity.