Synthesis of enantiopure cis-decahydroquinolines from homotyramines by Birch reduction and aminocyclization

Birch reduction of homotyramines with a syn-β-amino alcohol unit followed by acid treatment of formed dihydroanisole derivatives gives polysubstituted enantiopure cis-decahydroquinolines. The stereoselectivity of the process differs if the hydroxyl group is free or protected. The procedure allows the synthesis of 7-oxodecahydroquinolines embodying four stereogenic centres with the same relative configuration as that of lepadins F and G.     

Stereoselective synthesis of the cis-275B decahydroquinoline ring system

The Diels-Alder precursor was constructed from readily available d-glutamic acid utilizing a series of functional group transformations. The stereocenter of the amino acid provided the desired stereochemistry at C2 and diastereoselectively directed the intramolecular Diels-Alder cyclization. This simultaneously generated the three remaining stereocenters and yielded a bicyclic intermediate with all four stereocenters of the target decahydroquinoline 275B.     

Model studies in the lepadin series: synthesis of enantiopure decahydroquinolines by aminocyclization of 2-(3-aminoalkyl)cyclohexenones

Syntheses of enantiopure 3-acetoxy-2-methyldecahydroquinolines are accomplished by coupling cyclohexenyllithium 3 with α-amino epoxides and an aminocyclization of 2-(3-aminoalkyl)cyclohexenones (i.e., 5 and 9) as the key steps. The procedure allows the incorporation of alkyl substituents at C(5) to give enantiopure 2,3,5-trisubstitued decahydroquinolines.