Desymmetrization of Benzoic Acid in the Context of the Asymmetric Birch Reduction—Alkylation Protocol. Asymmetric Total Syntheses of (-)-Eburnamonine and (-)-Aspidospermidine.

The highly diastereoselective potassium in ammonia reduction−ethylation (EtI) of the chiral 2-(trimethylsilyl)benzamide 1b to give 1,4-cyclohexadiene 3 is the key step in asymmetric syntheses of (−)-eburnamonine (4) and (−)-aspidospermidine (5). Cyclohexadiene 3 was converted to cyclohexanone 7, which provided the trimethylsilyl-substituted butyrolactone 9 utilized for the synthesis of 4 and butyrolactone 13 required for the synthesis of 5. The preparation of 9 depended upon the completely regioselective silicon-directed Baeyer−Villiger oxidation 7 → 8; Baeyer−Villiger oxidation of the cyclohexenone 10 also was regioselective to give the desired enol lactone 11 in 92% yield. Remarkable diastereoselectivity was observed for the kinetically controlled cyclization of the acyl imminium ion derived from the vinyl-substituted carboxaldehyde 16b; treatment of 16b with 5 equiv of CF3CO2H in CH2Cl2 at −55 °C gave an 18:1 mixture of 17 and its C(3) β-epimer in 93% yield. The oxidation of alcohol 18 containing sensi...