Total Synthesis of Tetracyclic Spirooxindole Alkaloids via a Double Oxidative Rearrangement/Cyclization Cascade

Skeleton rearrangement could rapidly transfer simple molecules to complex structures and has significant potential in the total synthesis of natural products. We developed a one-pot reaction cascade of double oxidative rearrangement of furan and indole followed by a nucleophilic cyclization that was successfully applied for the formal synthesis of rhynchophylline/isorhynchophylline and the first total synthesis of (±)-7(R)-geissoschizol oxindole/(±)-7(S)-geissoschizol oxindole. In addition, the geissoschizol oxindoles were revised to their C3 epimers, and the mechanism for the reversed stereochemistry through the retro-Mannich/Mannich cascade was proposed and supported by density functional theory calculations.