The indenobenzazepine-spirobenzylisoquinoline rearrangement; stereocontrolled syntheses of (±)-raddeanine and (±)-yenhusomine

Stereoselective rearrangement of indenobenzazepine cis ketols $\text{2}$ and $\text{5}$ with TPAA in pyridine produces spirobenzylisoquinolines $\text{3}$ and $\text{6}$, respectively. The latter product is also obtained by rearrangement of trans ketol $\text{7}$. The transformation of ketols $\text{5}$ and $\text{7}$ must, therefore, proceed through the intermediacy of aziridinium cation $\text{9}$. A similar process obtains in the transformation of $\text{2}$ to $\text{3}$. NaBH₄ reduction of $\text{3}$ gives (±)-raddeanine ($\text{4}$). Rearrangement of diol $\text{10}$ supplies $\text{4}$ directly. (±)-Yenhusomine ($\text{13}$) is obtained from the reamangement of either diol, $\text{11}$ or $\text{12}$. In like fashion, diols $\text{14}$ and $\text{15}$ supply spirobenzylisoquinoline $\text{17}$.