Diastereoselective [4+2] annulation of vinyl carbodiimides with N-alkyl imines. Asymmetric synthetic access to the batzelladine alkaloids.

A diastereoselective [4+2] annulation of vinyl carbodiimides with chiral N-alkyl imines has been developed to access the stereochemically rich tricyclic core of the batzelladine alkaloids. Its application to the asymmetric synthesis of batzelladine D permitted the use of long-range, directed hydrogenation and stereoselective intramolecular iodoamination as additional key steps to establish the remaining stereocenters within the natural product with excellent stereocontrol.