Synthesis of phenanthridine and phenanthridinone derivatives based on Pd‐catalyzed C–H activation

This review article provides an overview of the most recent and exciting developments in palladium‐catalyzed C–H activation and mechanistic aspects of these catalytic reactions as the fast‐growing field for the synthesis of phenanthridine derivatives.     

Enantioselective synthesis of chelidonine, a B/C-cis-11-hydroxyhexahydrobenzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid

Both enantiomers of chelidonine, a B/C-cis-11-hydroxyhexahydrobenzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid, were synthesized by manipulation of the B/C-dehydro ring juncture of benzo[c]phenanthridine skeleton using Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation and stereospecific catalytic hydrogenation after introduction of oxygen functions on the C ring as key reaction steps for the construction of stereogenic centers.     

Efficient Synthesis of Pyrrolo[1,2-f]phenanthridine Derivatives via Dipolar Cycloaddition of Phenanthridine,Activated Acetylenes,and Ethyl Bromopyruvate

The three-component reactions of phenanthridine, activated acetylenes, and ethyl bromopyruvate through both of simultaneous and stepwise process are surveyed. The reactions afforded the corresponding pyrrolo[1,2-f]phenanthridine derivatives in good yields without using any catalyst and activation.

[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications® for the following free supplemental resource(s): Full experimental and spectral details.]     

A new total synthesis of an indolo[3,2-j]phenanthridine alkaloid calothrixin B

A new total synthesis of calothrixin B is described. The key step is an allene-mediated electrocyclic reaction involving the indole 2,3-bond for the construction of a suitable 4-oxygenated 2,3,4-trisubstituted carbazole ring system.     

Coumarins and alkaloids from the roots of Toddalia asiatica

The EtOAc and MeOH extracts of the roots of Toddalia asiatica Lam. were investigated for the roots’ chemical constituents. Two new compounds including 2′R-acetoxytoddanol (1) and 8S-10-O-demethylbocconoline (3) as well as 15 known compounds were isolated. Compound 10 showed strong cytotoxicity against KB cells with an IC₅₀ value of 2.60 μg/mL, which is nearly equal to the ellipticine standard, but showed no activity against Vero cells. Alkaloid 3 displayed weak cytotoxicity against the KB cell line with an IC₅₀ value of 21.69 μg/mL.     

四(三苯基膦)化钯催化的若干菲啶类化合物的合成

邻甲酰基芳基硼酸与取代邻溴苯胺经四(三苯基膦)化钯催化偶联缩合, 合成了9个菲啶衍生物。邻溴苯胺的取代基无论是吸电子或供电子基团, 反应均可顺利进行。     

Liquid chromatographic/electrospray mass spectrometric determination (LC/ESI-MS) of chelerythrine and dihydrochelerythrine in near-critical CO2 extracts from real and spiked plasma samples

Two polar benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids, chelerythrine (CHE) and dihydrochelerythrine (DHCHE), were extracted at 35 °C and 10 MPa (15 MPa for real samples) from real and spiked plasma samples with acceptable recoveries (95.1% and 81.0%, respectively) using near-critical CO₂ modified with aqueous (1:1, v/v) methanol. The alkaloids were quantified by a liquid chromatographic/electrospray mass spectrometric (LC/ESI-MS) method on a Zorbax SB-CN column (75 mm × 4.6 mm, 3.5 μm particle size) using methanol (organic phase) and 50 mM ammonium formiate (aqueous phase) as a mobile phase. A linear gradient 0-1 min, isocratic at 60% organic phase (v/v); from 1.0 to 7.0 min, 60-71% organic phase (v/v); from 7.0 to 18.0 min, 71-60% organic phase (v/v) was applied. The limit of detection was 1.22 ng (3.50 pmol) for CHE and 0.95 ng (2.72 pmol) for DHCHE per 1 ml of the sample. The linearity of the calibration curves was satisfactory as indicated by coefficients of determination 0.9979 and 0.9995 for CHE and DHCHE, respectively. Repeatability and intermediate precision (average R.S.D.s) were 1.0-1.5%, accuracy was in the range 99.7-100.3%. Average recovery was 100.1% for both, standard solutions and spiked plasma extracts. Three samples of real rat plasma were extracted and analysed to test the method.     

A concise synthesis of nornitidine via nickel- or palladium-catalyzed annulation

A concise method to synthesize benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid, nornitidine, was developed utilizing nickel- or palladium-catalyzed iminoannulation of an internal alkyne. The advantages of this strategy included readily available starting materials, inexpensive reagents, short reaction steps, and good yields.     

A new synthetic approach to 7-hydroxynitidine

Benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid, 7-hydroxynitidine, was synthesized from readily available 2-benzyloxy-6-bromo-3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde 5 and napthylamine 6 using reductive amination followed by radical cyclization in eight steps. This method is highly efficient and better way to synthesize fully aromatized benzo[c]phenanthridine compounds.     

Synthesis of Pyrrolo[a]- and Pyrrolo[c]phenanthridine Derivatives and Indolinyl and Indolylsubstituted 6-Phenanthridines

The corresponding Mannich bases have been synthesized by the aminomethylation of 6-methyl-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-a]- and 4-methyl-3H-pyrrolo[3,2-c]phenanthridinium iodides. The interaction of 6-chloro-phenanthridine with indoline and with 5-amino-N-acetylindoline gave the corresponding derivatives of phenanthridine. 6-(1-Indolyl)phenanthridine has been obtained by the dehydrogenation of 6-(1-indolinyl)phenanthridine with manganese dioxide.