Synthesis of (+)-Phakellin

Significance

Phakellines are a family of sponge alkaloids containing the pyrrole-imidazole moiety. (+)-Phakellin can be obtained by hydrogenolysis of (+)-dibromophakellin, a product isolated from Pseudoaxinyssa cantharella. The first enantioselective synthesis of (+)-phakellin is presented. The other member of the family, (+)-monobromo­phakellin, can be synthesised from H in two steps.