Question

19 s vindoline to 19 r vindoline preparation

Answer 1

A concise 11-step total synthesis of (−)- and ent-(+)-vindoline (3) is detailed based on a unique tandem intramolecular [4+2]/[3+2] cycloaddition cascade of a 1,3,4-oxadiazole inspired by the natural product structure, in which three rings and four C–C bonds are formed central to the characteristic pentacyclic ring system setting all six stereocenters and introducing essentially all the functionality found in the natural product in a single step. As key elements of the scope and stereochemical features of the reaction were defined, a series of related natural products of increasing complexity were prepared by total synthesis including both enantiomers of minovine (4), 4-desacetoxy-6,7-dihydrovindorosine (5), 4-desacetoxyvindorosine (6), and vindorosine (7) as well as N-methylaspidospermidine (11). Subsequent extensions of the approach provided both enantiomers of 6,7-dihydrovindoline (8), 4-desacetoxyvindoline (9), and 4-desacetoxy-6,7-dihydrovindoline (10).