Regioselective Synthesis of the Tetrahydrocarbazole Core of Akuammiline Alkaloids via Palladium-Catalyzed Intramolecular Arylation Reaction

J Org Chem. 2024 Apr 5;89(7):4461-4466. doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.3c02619. Epub 2024 Mar 25.

Abstract

Tetrahydrocarbazole is the central core for several biologically active alkaloids, and regioselective synthesis of this core is a challenging task. Herein, we report an efficient strategy for the synthesis of this core involving palladium-catalyzed intramolecular arylation reaction with excellent regioselectivity (>99%) starting from N-phenyl-bromoalkene without having any relocation of double bonds via competitive palladium-catalyzed isomerization reaction. Broad functional group tolerance and exclusive regioselectivity have been observed for meta-substituted halide substrates. Furthermore, this reaction can be scalable on the gram scale.