A study on synthesis of antifouling natural products and their derivatives

Abstract

Recent progress on synthesis of antifouling natural products and their derivatives are described. Settlement of fouling organisms on ship hulls and fishing nets has serious economic and environmental consequences. In order to prevent problems associated with fouling, organotin compounds (TBT, TBTO, TPT) had been used since the 1960s, until the use of these compounds was prohibited by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2008 due to the considerable harmful effects on various marine organisms. Consequently, the development of environmentally friendly antifouling materials has been pursued. Natural products isolated from marine organisms with antifouling properties have been expected to be candidates for green antifoulants due to their high antifouling ability as well as low toxicity against various marine organisms. Unfortunately, sufficient material cannot be obtained from natural sources, thus impeding further research such as derivatization of compounds or investigation of other biological activities. Total synthesis provides an alternative opportunity to overcome such difficulties because it allows for a greater supply of not only the original compounds but also their derivatives by the modification of the current synthetic method. This review focuses on antifouling natural products and their derivatives that were recently synthesized by the author and other independent groups.