Efficient Construction of Pyrano[3,2‐ a ]carbazoles: Application to a Biomimetic Total Synthesis of Cyclized Monoterpenoid Pyrano[3,2‐ a ]carbazole Alkaloids

We have developed a highly efficient route to 2‐hydroxy‐3‐methylcarbazole ( 1 ) via a palladium‐catalyzed construction of the carbazole skeleton. Using 1 as relay compound, different methods for annulations of pyran rings by reaction with terpenoid building blocks have been tested. The Lewis acid promoted reaction of 1 with prenal ( 21 ) opened up an efficient route to girinimbine ( 3 ) and the corresponding reaction with citral ( 25 ) afforded mahanimbine ( 5 ). Oxidation of compounds 3 and 5 provided murrayacine ( 4 ) and murrayacinine ( 6 ). Following the biogenetic proposal, mahanimbine ( 5 ) has been exploited for efficient biomimetic syntheses of the cyclized monoterpenoid pyrano[3,2‐ a ]carbazole alkaloids cyclomahanimbine ( 7 ), mahanimbidine ( 8 ) and bicyclomahanimbine ( 9 ). The interconversions of 5 , 7 , 8 and 9 are described and mechanistic implications are discussed. Structural assignments are unambiguously verified by X‐ray crystal structure determinations. Moreover, cyclomahanimbine ( 7 ) was transformed into murrayazolinine ( 10 ) and exozoline ( 11 ).