Reactions of the Phenanthridine Nucleus

The Pictet-Hubert reaction describes the construction of the phenanthridine nucleus (2) by dehydration of acyl-o-xenylamines (1). The application of zinc chloride at high temperature facilitates the dehydration/ This reaction is also referred as the Morgan-Walls Reaction. 

The acyl residue controls the formation and stability of the carbonium ion. If the carbonium ion is destabilized (by electron withdrawing groups), then cyclization to the phenanthridine nucleus will be sluggish. The slower the rate of cyclization, the greater the chance of side reactions with the cyclization reagent. Therefore, the yield of the phenanthridine will depend on the relative rates of cyclization and side reactions, which is controlled by the stability of the carbonium ion. 

A common intermediate in the synthesis of benzo[c]phenanthridines is the 2-aryl-l-tetralone, which provides rings A, B, and D of the alkaloid nucleus. In 1973, two independent research groups reported the synthesis of nitidine via the 3,4-dihydro-2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-6,7-methylenedioxy-(2/7)-naphthalone 29 (Scheme 2). The synthesis of this intermediate was arrived at by two different routes. Kametani ei al. (73JHC31) reduced 3-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)proprionate 21 to the corresponding alcohol 22 with lithium aluminium hydride, which was then converted to the chloride 23 with thionyl chloride. After production of the nitrile 24 by reaction with sodium cyanide and subsequent hydrolysis to the carboxylic acid 25, Friedel-Crafts cyclization of the acid chloride 26 afforded the tetralone intermediate 27. Reaction with l-bromo-3,4-dimethoxybenzene 28 in the presence of sodium amide yielded the tetralone intermediate 29 in an overall yield of 4%. 

The synthesis of haemanthamine illustrates another approach to the ethano-phenanthridine nucleus and is based on the cycloaddition reaction of butadienes and A -pyrroline-4,5-diones to give tetrahydroisatins. Transformation of the key intermediate diol (B) to the desired nucleus has been achieved via an unusual Bischler-Napieralski reaction involving the bridge-head nitrogen. ... 

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