Synthetic (±)‐Axinellamines Deficient in Halogen

Hiding in plain sight : Tailored synthetic dimers of the natural product dispacamide exist as a dynamic set of structural isomers. These materials isomerize readily to unveil a spirocyclic glycocyamidine from which ring systems common to complex pyrrole/imidazole alkaloids can be derived. Fully synthetic axinellamine congeners have been prepared in this way (see scheme), wherein a host of unusual and unanticipated reactions are employed.