Metal-Free and Versatile Synthetic Routes to Natural and Synthetic Prodiginines from Boron Dipyrrin

Prodiginines, as a family of bacterial alkaloids, possess a number of interesting biological activities. New, concise synthetic routes for the facile preparation of both synthetic and natural prodiginines in good yields have been developed, which use BODIPY functionalization reactions, such as condensation, nucleophilic substitution, and BF2 deprotection. This new metal-free synthetic method opens the door toward a wide variety of C-ring functionalized prodiginines, including those that are not possible to obtain through current synthetic methods, for their advanced biological activities.