Biomimetic Total Syntheses of Borreverine and Flinderole Alkaloids

Dimeric indole alkaloids represent a structurally unique class of natural products having interesting biological activities. Recently, we reported the first total synthesis of flinderoles B and C, structurally unique and potent antimalarial natural products. Central to the design of the approach and by virtue of a one-pot, acid-catalyzed dimerization reaction, the route also provided total synthesis of the borreverine class of natural products. This full account details the progress of efforts that culminated in the protecting-group-free, six-step total synthesis of all of the flindersia alkaloids: dimethylisoborreverine, isoborreverine, flinderoles A–C, and their analogues. A biomimetic approach featuring a scalable and catalytic formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition and Diels–Alder reaction is outlined in detail. On the basis of the experimental observations, a detailed mechanism has been proposed for the dimerization of tertiary alcohol 28.