Bioinspired Total Synthesis of Montanine‐Type Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids

Finding a common path : A synthetic strategy inspired by the proposed biogenesis of the montanine‐type alkaloids enabled the concise asymmetric synthesis of these compounds in a divergent fashion on the basis of an unprecedented tandem oxidative dearomatization/intramolecular aza‐Michael addition as the key step. This bioinspired approach revealed a chemical connection between the cherylline‐ and montanine‐type alkaloids (see scheme).