A copper-catalyzed N-alkynylation of pyrrole and a gold-catalyzed spiroketalization were key steps in the total synthesis of the pyrrole spiroketal alkaloid shensongine A. The preparation of this alkaloid is concise and amenable to the rapid synthesis of a diverse library of compounds.
Key words
cross-coupling - alkynes - nitrogen heterocycles - spiroketalization - shensongine A - pyrrole spiroketal alkaloids - total synthesis