SYNTHESIS-STUTTGART, cilt.48, sa.23, ss.4175-4180, 2016 (SCI-Expanded)
The protecting-group-free and scalable total syntheses of (+/-)-dasycarpidol and (+/-)-dasycarpidone, as well as the formal total synthesis of (+/-)-uleine, are presented starting from a common tetrahydro-carbazole-fused lactone that is conveniently prepared on multigram scale. The key azocino[4,3-b]indole skeleton is constructed via the DDQ-mediated dehydrogenative cyclization of a tetrahydrocarbazole derivative possessing an amide side chain. The syntheses of the target natural products are accomplished in high yields and in a few steps by employing readily available conventional reagents.