Mechanistic investigation of the interrupted Bischler-Napieralski reaction and its application to the total synthesis of the aspidosperma alkaloids

Abstract

I. Direct Observation of Intermediates Involved in the Interruption of the Bischler- Napieralski Reaction. The first mechanistic investigation of electrophilic amide activation of [alpha], [alpha]-disubstituted tertiary lactams and the direct observation of key intermediates by in situ FTIR, 1H, 13C, and 19F NMR in our interrupted Bischler-Napieralski based synthetic strategy to the aspidosperma alkaloids is described. Importantly, when considering base additives during electrophilic amide activation, more hindered c-quaternary tertiary lactams require the use of non-nucleophilic pyridine additives in order to avoid deactivation via a competing desulfonylation reaction. The isolation and full characterization of a tetracyclic iminium trifluoromethanesulfonate provided additional correlation between in situ characterization of sensitive intermediates and isolable compounds involved in this synthetic transformation. II. Total Synthesis of (+)-Fendleridine, (+)-Acetylaspidoalbidine, and (+)-Limaspermidine. An Tf2O-mediated electrophilic amide activation of a readily available C21-oxygenated lactam, followed by transannular cyclization and in situ trapping of a transiently formed C19-iminium ion, expediently provides access to the hexacyclic C19-hemiaminal ether alkaloids (+)- fendleridine, (+)-acetylaspidoalbidine, and (+)-limaspermidine. A highly effective enzymatic resolution of a non-[beta]-branched primary alcohol (E=22) allowed rapid preparation of both enantiomeric forms of a C21-oxygenated precursor for synthesis of these aspidosperma alkaloids. III. Development of an Ortho-Acetoxylation of Indoline Amides and its Application to the Total Synthesis of (+)-Haplocidine and (+)-Haplocine. The first total syntheses of (+)-haplocidine and its NI-amide congener (+)-haplocine is described. The concise synthesis of these alkaloids required the development of a late-stage and highly selective C-H oxidation of complex aspidosperma alkaloid derivatives. A versatile, amide directed ortho-acetoxylation of indoline amides enabled the implementation of a unified strategy for late-stage diversification of hexacyclic C19-hemiaminal ether structures via oxidation of the corresponding pentacyclic C19-iminium ions.