Enantioselective formal synthesis of (+)-dihydrocorynantheine and (-)-dihydrocorynantheol.

The enantioselective construction of the 3-ethylindolo[2,3-a]quinolizidine moiety present in numerous indole alkaloids is reported, the key steps being a stereoselective cyclocondensation of (S)-tryptophanol with an appropriate racemic delta-oxoester and a regio- and stereoselective cyclization of the resulting oxazolopiperidones on the lactam carbonyl group. A new procedure for the removal of the hydroxymethyl auxiliary group, involving oxidation to an aldehyde, dehydration of the corresponding oxime, and reductive decyanation of the resulting alpha-aminonitrile, has been developed. The preparation of indoloquinolizidine 27 represents a formal total synthesis of (+)-dihydrocorynantheine, (-)-dihydrocorynantheol, and other indolo[2,3-a]quinolizidine and oxindole alkaloids bearing the same substitution pattern.

Straightforward methodology for the enantioselective synthesis of benzo[a]- and indolo[2,3-a]quinolizidines.

An enantioselective two-step route to substituted benzo[a]- and indolo[2,3-a]quinolizidines has been developed. It consists of (i) a stereoselective cyclocondensation of a racemic or prochiral delta-oxo(di)ester with either (S)-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)alaninol or (S)-tryptophanol in a process involving a dynamic kinetic resolution and/or the differentiation of enantiotopic or diastereotopic ester groups, and (ii) a subsequent stereocontrolled cyclization on the aromatic ring taking advantage of the masked N-acyl iminium ion present in the resulting oxazolopiperidone lactams.

Alkylation of phenylglycinol-derived oxazolopiperidone lactams. Enantioselective synthesis of beta-substituted piperidines.

The stereochemical outcome of the alkylation of a variety of phenylglycinol-derived oxazolopiperidone lactams is studied. The influence of the configuration of the C-8a stereocenter and the effect of the substituents at the C-8 and C-8a positions on the stereoselectivity of the reaction are discussed. The synthetic utility of these alkylation reactions is illustrated with the synthesis of cis and trans 3,5-disubstituted, 2,5-disubstituted, and 2,3,5-trisubstituted enantiopure piperidines, and the indole alkaloids 20R- and 20S-dihydrocleavamine.

On the origin of the stereoselectivity in the alkylation of oxazolopiperidone enolates.

The origin of the diastereoselective alkylation of enolates of oxazolopiperidones is studied by means of theoretical calculations and experimental assays. For the unsubstituted oxazolopiperidone, the alkylation with methyl chloride is predicted to afford mainly the exo product, a finding further corroborated from the analysis of the experimental outcome obtained in the reaction of the racemic oxazolopiperidone. However, such a preference can be drastically altered by the presence of substituents attached to the fused ring. In particular, when the angular carbon adopts an R configuration in a phenylglycinol-derived oxazolopiperidone, the presence of a phenyl ring at position 3 forces the pseudo-planarity of the bicyclic lactam, and the diastereoselectivity is dictated by the internal torsional strain induced in the enolate. However, when the angular carbon adopts an S configuration, the preference for the exo alkylation stems from the intermolecular steric hindrance between the enolate and the alkylating reagent. Interestingly, the intramolecular hydrogen bond formed between the phenyl ring and the carbonyl oxygen in the enolate largely reduces the difference in stability of the two TSs compared to the unsubstituted oxazolopiperidone.