Total Synthesis of Aspidosperma Family Indole Alkaloids through the iORC Domino Process

This thesis describes a unified strategy for the synthesis of monoterpene indole alkaloids of the Aspidosperma family. These syntheses feature two key steps: (1) a palladiumcatalyzed decarboxylative vinylation that provides quick access to cyclopentene intermediates containing all of the carbons present in the natural products and (2) an integrated oxidation/reduction/cyclization (iORC) sequence for skeletal reorganisation that converts the cyclopentenes to the corresponding pentacyclic structures of the natural products. By incorporation of a geometric constraint to the iORC substrates, both the chemoselectivity (C7 versus N1 cyclization) and the stereoselectivity (trans- versus cis-fused ring system) of the cyclization process can be controlled. Using this method, we achieved the racemic total synthesis of aspidospermidine and dehydroaspidospermidine in seven steps; both of which feature a cis-fused ring system. We then accomplished a ten-steps synthesis of kopsihainanine A featuring a trans-fused ring system. The work towards the total synthesis of aspidoalbidine and kopsinitarine E using the same two key steps was attempted, but was not completed in the time provided. This PhD will also cover our synthetic efforts towards the alkaloidminfiensine, featuring a domino reduction/cyclization sequence performed prior to the development of the iORC process.