Suzuki-Miyaura and Stille reactions as key steps in the synthesis of diversely functionalized Amaryllidaceae alkaloid analogs bearing a 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobenzo[c,e]azocine skeleton

Microwave-assisted Suzuki-Miyaura and Stille cross-coupling reactions for the synthesis of highly electron-rich and diversely functionalized biaryl intermediates are presented. Microwave-irradiation has been demonstrated to be a very powerful tool for performing difficult transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions with unfavorably substituted coupling partners. The key biaryl intermediates were used for the microwave-enhanced construction of the 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobenzoc,e]azocine skeleton of the Apogalanthamine analogs. The success of the strategy is demonstrated by synthesizing a number of hitherto unknown, diversely functionalized, natural product analogs.