Expeditious Approach to Pyrrolophenanthridones, Phenanthridines, and Benzo[c]phenanthridines via Organocatalytic Direct Biaryl-Coupling Promoted by Potassium tert-Butoxide

A methodology involving a “transition metal-free” intramolecular biaryl-coupling of o-halo-N-arylbenzylamines has been developed in the presence of potassium tert-butoxide and an organic molecule as catalyst. The reaction appears to proceed through KOtBu-promoted intramolecular homolytic aromatic substitution (HAS). Interestingly, this biaryl coupling also works in the presence of potassium tert-butoxide as sole promoter. On extending our approach further, we found that N-acyl 2-bromo-N-arylbenzylamines undergo a one-pot N-deprotection/biaryl coupling followed by oxidation, thus offering an expeditious route to the phenanthridine and benzo­[c]­phenanthridine skeletons. The strategy has been applied to a concise synthesis of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids viz. oxoassoanine (1b), anhydrolycorinone (1d), 5,6-dihydrobicolorine (2d), trispheridine (2b), and benzo­[c]­phenanthridines alkaloids dihydronitidine (3b), dihydrochelerythidine (3d), dihydroavicine (3f), nornitidine (3h), and norchelerythrine (3j).