A general synthetic entry to the pentacyclic Strychnos alkaloid family, using a [4+2]-cycloaddition/rearrangement cascade sequence

The total synthesis of (+/-)-strychnopivotine, (+/-)-tubifolidine, (+/-)-strychnine, and (+/-)-valparicine is reported. The central step in the synthesis consists of an intramolecular [4 + 2]-cycloaddition/rearrangement cascade of an indolyl-substituted amidofuran that delivers an aza-tetracyclic substructure containing the ABCE-rings of the Strychnos alkaloid family. A large substituent group on the amide nitrogen atom causes the reactive s-trans conformation of the amidofaran to be more highly populated, thereby facilitating the Diels-Alder cycloaddition. The reaction also requires the presence of an electron-withdrawing substituent on the indole nitrogen for the cycloaddition to proceed. The cycloaddition/rearrangement cascade was remarkably efficient given that two heteroaromatic systems are compromised in the reaction. Closure to the remaining D-ring of the Strychnos skeleton was carried out from the aza-tetracyclic intermediate by an intramolecular palladium-catalyzed enolate-driven cross-coupling between the N-tethered vinyl iodide and the keto functionality. The cycloaddition/rearrangement approach was successfully applied to (+/-)-strychnopivotine (2), the only Strychnos alkaloid bearing a 2-acylindoline moiety in its pentacyclic framework. A variation of this tactic was then utilized for a synthesis of the heptacyclic framework of (+/-)-strychnine. The total synthesis of (+/-)-strychnine required only 13 steps from furanyl indole 18 and proceeded in an overall yield of 4.4%.