Synthesis 2024; 56(01): 107-117
DOI: 10.1055/a-2107-5159
special topic
Advances in Skeletal Editing and Rearrangement Reactions

Concise Total Synthesis of Complanadine A Enabled by Pyrrole-to-Pyridine Molecular Editing

Brandon S. Martin
a   Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 720 Clinic Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
,
Donghui Ma
a   Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 720 Clinic Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
b   Department of Chemistry, Emory University, 1515 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
,
Takeru Saito
a   Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 720 Clinic Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
,
Katelyn S. Gallagher
a   Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 720 Clinic Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
,
Mingji Dai
a   Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 720 Clinic Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
b   Department of Chemistry, Emory University, 1515 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
› Author Affiliations
This work was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (GM128570).


Abstract

The Lycopodium alkaloid complanadine A, isolated in 2000, is a complex and unsymmetrical dimer of lycodine. Biologically, it is a novel and promising lead compound for the development of new treatments for neurodegenerative disorders and persistent pain management. Herein, we report a concise synthesis of complanadine A using a pyrrole-to-pyridine molecular editing strategy. The use of a nucleophilic pyrrole as the precursor of the desired pyridine enabled an efficient and one-pot construction of the tetracyclic core skeleton of complanadine A and lycodine. The pyrrole group was converted into a 3-chloropyridine via Ciamician–Dennstedt one-carbon ring expansion. A subsequent C–H arylation between the 3-chloropyridine and a pyridine N-oxide formed the unsymmetrical dimer, which was then advanced to complanadine A. Overall, from a readily available known compound, the total synthesis of complanadine A was achieved in 11 steps. The pyrrole-to-pyridine molecular editing strategy enabled us to significantly enhance the overall synthetic efficiency. Additionally, as demonstrated by Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling, the 3-chloropyridine product from the Ciamician–Dennstedt rearrangement is amenable for further derivatization, offering an opportunity for simplified analogue synthesis.

Supporting Information



Publication History

Received: 15 February 2023

Accepted after revision: 07 June 2023

Accepted Manuscript online:
07 June 2023

Article published online:
03 July 2023

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