Synthesis of Tangutorine

Tangutorine ( 1 ) in the racemic form has been assembled from tryptamine and aldehyde 3 . The synthetic design was based on uncovering a hidden symmetry in the nontryptamine portion of the norketone 2 . A five‐step process with an overall yield of 7% was developed in which 2 was transformed into the target molecule via a Vilsmeier–Haack reaction and two reduction steps.