Brønsted acid assisted activation of imidecarbonyl group: regioselective synthesis of isoindoloisoquinolinone alkaloid (±)-nuevamine

Abstract

Activation of imide carbonyl group with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid facilitates the intramolecular cyclization of phenethylphthalimides to give a fused isoindoloisoquinolinone skeleton. The first one pot regioselective synthesis of isoindoloisoquinolinone alkaloid (±)-nuevamine has been successfully executed using this methodology.