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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Functionalized Spirocyclic Heterocycle Synthesis and Cytotoxicity Assay
Published on: February 9, 2021
Expeditious total syntheses of camptothecin and 10-hydroxycamptothecin
Guan-Sai Liu1, Qing-Li Dong, Yuan-Shan Yao
1State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 354 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
Abstract:
New expeditious total syntheses of (S)-camptothecin (16% overall yield, 95% ee) and (S)-10-hydroxycamptothecin (14% overall yield, 99% ee) have been accomplished, respectively, starting from readily available and inexpensive materials. Development, optimization, and successful application of the cascade reaction consisting of a pyrrolidine-catalyzed Michael addition, an intramolecular aldol condensation, and an oxidative aromatization, the intramolecular oxa Diels-Alder cycloaddition, and the Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation make these two new syntheses more efficient and straightforward.

