Biomimetic Synthesis of Moschamine-Related Indole Alkaloids via Iron-Catalyzed Selectively Oxidative Radical Coupling

An iron-catalyzed oxidative radical coupling reaction was developed to selectively construct indolofuran or bisphenolic indole cores, which exist in two types of moschamine-related indole alkaloids. Both (+)-decursivine and 4,4″-bis(N-feruloyl)serotonin were biomimetically synthesized by using coupling reactions. The proposed reassignment of the structure of montamine as 4,4″-bis(N-feruloyl)serotonin was excluded.