Synlett 2007(17): 2635-2638  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-991054
LETTER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Total Synthesis of (+)-Camptothecin via an Intramolecular Palladium-Catalyzed Cyclization Strategy

Subhash P. Chavan*, Ashok B. Pathak, Uttam R. Kalkote
Division of Organic Chemistry: Technology, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India
e-Mail: Sp.chavan@ncl.res.in;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 1 August 2007
Publication Date:
25 September 2007 (online)

Abstract

The novel cascade intramolecular Pd-catalyzed cyclization followed by aromatization for the construction of d ring of (+)-camptothecin as a key step is demonstrated.

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Synthesis of Compound 23: Procedure for the Pd-Catalyzed Cyclization Reaction
To a stirred solution of compound 22 (0.2 g, 0.61 mmol) in DMF (3.0 mL) and H2O (1.0 mL) was added PdCl2 (0.007 g, 0.061 mmol) and CuCl2·2H2O (0.22 g, 1.2 mmol). The resultant dark green solution was heated at 95 °C for 8 h. After the disappearance of starting material (TLC), the reaction mixture was cooled to r.t. Then, H2O (10 mL) was added and extracted with Et2O (3 × 15 mL). The combined organic layers were washed with H2O (3 × 10 mL), brine (10 mL), dried over anhyd Na2SO4, filtered, and concentrated in vacuo. The residue was purified by flash column chromatog-raphy (SiO2) using EtOAc-PE (6:4) as an eluent to furnish cyclized product 23 as a pale yellow solid in 54% yield, mp 97-100 °C.
Spectroscopic Data for Compound 23
IR (CHCl3): νmax = 1728, 1658, 1604 cm-1. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3 and CCl4): δ = 1.44 (3 H, t, J = 7.2 Hz), 2.46 (3 H, s), 4.46 (2 H, q, J = 7.2 Hz), 5.27 (2 H, s), 7.21 (1 H, s), 7.66 (1 H, t, J = 8.0 Hz), 7.82 (1 H, t, J = 8.0 Hz), 7.92 (1 H, d, J = 8.0 Hz), 8.22 (1 H, d, J = 8.0 Hz), 8.37 (1 H, s) ppm. 13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3 and CCl4): δ = 14.3, 20.4, 50.15, 61.5, 103.5, 124.0, 127.95, 128.1, 129.1, 129.8, 130.5, 131.0, 136.0, 145.7, 148.9, 151.0, 152.4, 158.4, 166.3 ppm. ESI-MS: m/z = 321 [M + H]+, 343 [M + Na]+. Anal. Calcd (%) for C19H16N2O3: C, 71.24; H, 5.03; N, 8.74. Found: C, 71.19; H, 5.11; N, 8.69.