A concise and versatile synthesis of alkaloids from Kopsia tenuis: total synthesis of (±)-lundurine A and B.

A total synthesis of (±)-lundurines A and B is described. These natural products have a unique hexacyclic skeleton which includes a cyclopropane-fused indoline. A stereospecific construction of the pentasubstituted cyclopropane core was achieved, by radical cyclization using SmI2, with perfect stereoselectivity. Cyclizations to give seven- and five-membered heterocycles, under palladium and ruthenium catalysis, respectively, accomplished the total syntheses. The late-stage construction of the F ring by ring-closing metathesis enabled access to the title compounds from a spiroindoline intermediate which is a common structure of other kopsia alkaloids.