Traceless Nitro Group Directing Strategy: Modular Syntheses of the Scaffolds of Polycyclic Alkaloids

elimination, circumventing the limitations imposed by "aromatization-driven" or "β-EWG-driven" modes and providing a "β-aryl activation" type through hyperconjugation, along with expedient access to a broad scope of piperidone/isoquinolone molecules, including oxyberberine, nauclefine, and aromathecin alkaloids. Leveraging the diversity of cyclic imines and nitrobutyrates, the nitro-Mannich/lactamization/nitrous acid elimination cascade reaction offers a transition-metal-free and modular platform for rapidly assembling natural-product-like polycyclic scaffolds, which hold significant promise for accelerating bioactive molecule discovery and advancing pharmacological research.