Total synthesis of (+)-complanadine A using an iridium-catalyzed pyridine C-H functionalization.

The total synthesis of the Lycopodium alkaloid complanadine A, which is an unsymmetrical dimer of lycodine, was achieved by exploiting a common tetracyclic precursor. Key to the success of the synthesis was the development of a late-stage site-selective C-H functionalization of a pyridine moiety to arrive at a key boronic ester intermediate.