Towards the synthesis of notoamide C

Members of the prenylated indole alkaloid family have attracted much attention from synthetic chemists and drug developers for their distinct structural complexity and diverse bioactivity. Traditional methods for installing tert-prenyl moieties in the synthesis of prenylated indole alkaloids require stoichiometric organometallic reagents, producing toxic metal byproducts. One of the main goals of our group’s chemistry is to develop catalytic carbon-carbon bond formations, minimizing the use of these undesirable stoichiometric premetalated reagents. Our group has developed catalytic methods for the tert-prenylation of isatins. With this efficient and green approach to tert-prenylation, we embarked on the implementation of our ruthenium-catalyzed tert-prenylation towards the synthesis of notoamide C, a member of the prenylated indole alkaloid family.