Synthesis 2008(3): 331-351  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1032134
REVIEW
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Aza-Annulation Strategies in Alkaloid Total Synthesis

Adrien K. Lawrence, Karl Gademann*
Chemical Synthesis Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), SB-ISIC-LSYNC, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
Fax: +41(21)6939700; e-Mail: karl.gademann@epfl.ch;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 26 October 2007
Publication Date:
11 January 2008 (online)

Abstract

This review highlights the synthesis of nitrogen-containing natural products via aza-annulation. Strategic, tactical, and methodological perspectives are discussed, including recent developments such as metal- or organocatalyzed reactions, oxidative or reductive cyclizations, biomimetic processes, cascade reactions, and cycloadditions. Such key steps are presented in the context of the total syntheses of tropinone, batzelladine, lyconadin, FR901483, strychnofoline, discorhabdin, necatarone, aspido­phytine, dibromophakellstatin, anachelin, the acridones, alkaloid GB13, cephalotaxine, strychnine, setoclavine, porantherine, vallesamine, nitraramine, cylindricine, the daphniphyllines, symbiomime, alstonerine, tangutorine and flustramine.

1 Introduction

2 Aza-Annulation Reactions

3 Conclusion