Approaches to the quaternary stereocentre and to the heterocyclic core in diazonamide A using the Heck reaction and related coupling reactions.

In model studies towards the quaternary centre at the heart of diazonamide A (early structure 2; revised structure 1), cyclisations of the alkene-substituted iodoaryls 4, 13, 18 and 23, under Heck reaction conditions, were shown to lead to the corresponding benzodihydrofuran 5, benzofuranone 14 and the oxindoles 19 and 24 respectively, in 50-80% yield. Further manipulation of the benzodihydrofuran 5 then led to the intermediates 30, 33 and 39, which make up parts of the oxazole-indole heterocyclic core in diazonamide A. Attempts to perform a corresponding 13-exo-trig Heck cyclisation from the precursor 46a, prepared from 44 and 45, leading to 47 were not successful.