Total synthesis of (+/-)-hasubanonine.

[reaction: see text] Total synthesis of the alkaloid (+/-)-hasubanonine is described. A key feature of the route is generation of a phenanthrene intermediate via a Suzuki coupling-Wittig olefination-ring-closing metathesis sequence. Conversion of the phenanthrene into the target molecule required six steps including dearomatization by means of oxidative phenolic coupling, anionic oxy-Cope rearrangement, and a final acid-promoted cyclization. Production of an undesired rearranged product in the last step could be suppressed by moderating the acid strength.