Total Synthesis of (±)-Meloscine

Synthesis of fused tricyclic amines unsubstituted at the ring-junction positions by a cascade condensation, cyclization, cycloaddition then decarbonylation strategy

Heating aldehydes that contain a protected hydroxymethyl group, a tethered alkyl chloride and a tethered alkenyl group at the α-position of the aldehyde with an amine sets up a cascade (tandem) reaction sequence involving condensation to an intermediate imine, then cyclization and formation of an intermediate azomethine ylide and then intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition. The fused tricyclic products are formed with complete or very high stereochemical control. The hydroxymethyl group was converted into an aldehyde – which could be removed to give the tricyclic amine products that are unsubstituted at the ring junction positions – or was converted into an alkene, which allowed the formation of the core ring system of the alkaloids scandine and meloscine.

Allenyl azide cycloaddition chemistry: application to the total synthesis of (±)-meloscine

The pentacyclic alkaloid (±)-meloscine was prepared in 19 steps through a reaction sequence that features a putative azatrimethylenemethane intermediate, generated through cascade cyclization of an allenyl azide substrate, to deliver the core azabicyclo[3.3.0]octadiene substructure. Subsequent manipulation of the peripheral functionality then delivered (±)-meloscine.

A palladium-catalyzed vinylcyclopropane (3+2) cycloaddition approach to the Melodinus alkaloids

A palladium-catalyzed (3+2) cycloaddition of a vinylcyclopropane and a β-nitrostyrene is employed to rapidly assemble the cyclopentane core of the Melodinus alkaloids. The ABCD ring system of the natural product family is prepared in six steps from commercially available materials.

A short total synthesis of (±)-epimeloscine and (±)-meloscine enabled by a cascade radical annulation of a divinylcyclopropane

The first stereoselective synthesis of epimeloscine has been accomplished in 13 total steps with a longest linear sequence of 10 steps. The core of the synthesis takes only five steps, the key ones being acylation, stereoselective tandem radical cyclization of a divinylcyclopropane to make two rings, and group-selective ring-closing metathesis of the resulting divinylcyclopentane to make the last ring.