Stereodivergent Total Synthesis of Hapalindoles, Fischerindoles, Hapalonamide H, and Ambiguine H Alkaloids by Developing a Biomimetic, Redox-Neutral, Cascade Prins-Type Cyclization.

A stereoselective, redox-neutral, Brønsted acid-catalyzed cascade Prins-type cyclization between indole and aldehyde is described to access several structurally diverse indole terpenoid scaffolds in a single step. Applying this concept, stereodivergent total syntheses of nine hapalindole-type alkaloids are accomplished. Key transformations include allylation using geometrically isomeric allylboronic acid followed by a p-toluenesulfonic acid mediated deprotection-cyclization cascade.