A Novel Asymmetric Synthesis of (+)-Deoxytylophorinine

A novel asymmetric synthesis of a phenanthroindolizidine alkaloid, (+)-deoxytylophorinine, is reported, which uses a chiral nickel(II) complex of a glycine Schiff base to synthesize a substituted ( R )-3-phenanthrylalanine as a key intermediate and Meldrum’s acid to construct the E ring.