Divergent Oxidative Couplings between Indoles and 2,3-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid Derivatives for the Biomimetic Synthesis of Voacalgine A and Bipleiophylline

Published as part of the Special Section on the 26th French–Japanese Symposium on Medicinal and Fine Chemistry

Abstract

The present feature article details our endeavors towards the synthesis of the highly intricate bisindole alkaloid bipleiophylline and its biosynthetic precursor voacalgine A: from the development of a divergent oxidative coupling between indole and dihydroxybenzoic acids, to the exploration of the chemical space from natural products and culminating in the biomimetic assembly of voacalgine A and bipleiophylline.

Key words

alkaloids - oxidative coupling - indole - catechol - bipleiophylline

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