Asymmetric Total Syntheses of Kopsia Indole Alkaloids

The asymmetric total syntheses of a group of structurally complex Kopsia alkaloids, (−)-kopsine, (−)-isokopsine, (+)-methyl chanofruticosinate, (−)-fruticosine, and (−)-kopsanone, has been achieved. The key strategies for the construction of the molecular complexity in the targets included an asymmetric Tsuji–Trost rearrangement to set the first quaternary carbon center at C20, an intramolecular cyclopropanation by diazo decomposition to install the second and third quaternary carbon centers at C2 and C7, respectively, and a SmI2-promoted acyloin condensation to assemble the isokopsine core. A radical decarboxylation of an isokopsine-type intermediate results in a thermodynamic partial rearrangement to give N-decarbomethoxyisokopsine and N-decarbomethoxykopsine, two key intermediates for the syntheses of Kopsia alkaloids with different subtype core structures.