Enantioselective Construction of the ABCDE Pentacyclic Core of the Strychnos Alkaloids.

An efficient enantioselective 12-step synthesis of the ABCDE pentacyclic core of the Strychnos alkaloids is described. A key feature of this approach is an organocatalyzed enantioselective desymmetrization to generate the morphan core in high ee and dr. After palladium-catalyzed installation of the indole moiety, a subsequent 5-exo-trig dearomatizing atom transfer radical cyclization was developed to construct the C-ring.

Catalytic enantio- and diastereoselective Mannich reaction of α-substituted isocyanoacetates and ketimines.

The highly diastereo- and enantioselective Mannich addition/cyclisation reaction of α-substituted isocyanoacetate ester pronucleophiles and (hetero)aryl and alkyl methyl ketone-derived ketimines using a silver acetate and a cinchona-derived amino phosphine binary catalyst system is reported.

Enantioselective desymmetrization of prochiral cyclohexanones by organocatalytic intramolecular Michael additions to α,β-unsaturated esters.

A new catalytic asymmetric desymmetrization reaction for the synthesis of enantioenriched derivatives of 2-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane, a key motif common to many alkaloids, has been developed.

Enantioselective synthesis of β-aryloxycarboxylic esters via asymmetric hydrogenation of β-aryloxy-α,β-unsaturated esters.

A novel synthesis of β-aryloxycarboxylic esters via asymmetric hydrogenation of the corresponding β-aryloxy-α,β-unsaturated esters has been demonstrated. Bis(norbornadiene)rhodium(I) tetrafluoroborate (1 mol %) and Walphos W008-1 were used to generate the saturated products with high enantioselectivity and in high yield. The tolerability of the reaction to a diverse range of substituents on the aromatic ring was also explored.