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Updated: May 18, 2026

Preparation of Enantiopure Non-Activated Aziridines and Synthesis of Biemamide B, D, and epiallo-Isomuscarine
Published on: June 13, 2022
Asymmetric total synthesis of (-)-stenine and 9a-epi-stenine
Hiromichi Fujioka1, Kenji Nakahara, Naoyuki Kotoku
1Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Yamada-oka, Suita, Japan. fujioka@phs.osaka-u.ac.jp
Abstract:
A route for the asymmetric synthesis of (-)-stenine, a member of the Stemona alkaloid family used as folk medicine in Asian countries, is described. The key features of the sequence employed include stereoselective transformations on a cyclohexane ring controlled by a chiral auxiliary unit and an intramolecular Mitsunobu reaction to construct the perhydroindole ring system. By using an intermediate in the route to (-)-stenine, an asymmetric synthesis of 9a-epi-stenine was also executed. The C(9a) stereocenter in 9a-epi-stenine was installed by using a Staudinger/aza-Wittig reaction of a keto-azide precursor followed by reduction of the resulting imine. The results of this effort demonstrate the applicability of the chiral auxiliary based strategy to the preparation of naturally occurring alkaloids that contain highly functionalized cyclohexane cores.
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