Radical Beckmann Rearrangement and Its Application in the Formal Total Synthesis of Antimalarial Natural Product Isocryptolepine via C-H Activation.

The Beckmann rearrangement of ketoximes, mediated by ammonium persulfate-dimethyl sulfoxide as a reagent, has been achieved under neutral conditions. Based on the radical trapping and (18)O-labeling experiments, the transformation follows a mechanism involving a radical pathway. The scope and generality of the developed protocol has been demonstrated by 19 examples. The developed protocol and Pd-catalyzed intramolecular double C-H activation were used as key steps in the formal total synthesis of antimalarial natural product isocryptolepine.