Jin-Quan Chen, Yang Mi, Zi-Fa Shi and Xiao-Ping Cao
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2018,16, 3801-3808
DOI:
10.1039/C7OB03067C,
Paper
A rapid construction of the tetracyclic core (±)-2 of (±)-cycloclavine (1) was accomplished in seven steps and 24% overall yield from commercially available aldehyde 7. Key features include a domino Friedel–Crafts/nitro-Michael reaction to construct the C ring and an intramolecular ammonolysis of a diester to close the D ring. In addition, a versatile 4-amino Uhle's ketone (±)-3 was afforded rapidly in five steps and 43% overall yield.