Synthesis of (+)-Lysergic Acid, (+)-Lysergol, and (+)-Isolysergol

Significance

Lysergic acid, lysergol, and isolysergol are indole-based alkaloids that are secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi. These ergot alkaloids (and synthetic analogues) have been reported to exhibit broad biological ­activity. Despite considerable interest from the synthetic community only three asymmetric syntheses have been reported, with many racemic syntheses due to the challenge of setting the ­stereocenter at the ring junction.