New Cyclization Route to the Skeletons of Lennoxamine and Chilenine

A new cyclization route, triggered by epoxide opening, has been performed to provide the key intermediates for isoindolobenzapine alkaloids, lennoxamine and chilenine. The epoxide was prepared by the Stille reaction using vinyltributylstannane and the following dioxirane treatment. Cyclization under the treatment of BF₃ · OEt₂ provided an azepine moiety, and the oxidative cyclization toward the known precursor for the alkaloids has been achieved by reaction with a stoichiometric amount of Pd(OAc)₂. This formal synthesis suggests a new route to the alkaloids.     

A concise synthesis of chilenine via a sequential reaction process

A new short synthesis of chilenine has been achieved in two steps. The precursor amide was readily prepared by the condensation of the corresponding amine and acid. Treatment of the amide with oxalyl chloride in the presence of AlCl₃ at room temperature afforded the desired product chilenine through sequential Friedel-Crafts acylation, amide cyclization to imide, and intramolecular Friedel-Crafts type reaction. The synthesis suggests a new potential of oxalyl chloride for a two-carbon synthon.     

Palladium-catalyzed intramolecular γ-lactam formation of an aryl halide and an enolate: synthesis of isoindolobenzazepine alkaloids, lennoxamine, 13-deoxychilenine, and chilenine

A facile synthetic path to isoindolobenzazepine alkaloids, lennoxamine, 13-deoxychilenine, and chilenine, was established by employing a palladium-catalyzed intramolecular α-arylation of the ketone, as the key step.