New Achievements in the Field of Intramolecular Phenolic Coupling Reactions, Using Hypervalent (III) Iodine Reagent: Synthesis of Galanthamine

Abstract
Our investigations on the oxidative possibilities of the hypervalent iodine(III) reagent established that phenyliodine(III)bis(trifluoroacclate) (PIFA) can provide one-pot contiguous coupling-cyclization reaction giving a product with narwedine skeleton, when used in a phenolic coupling reaction of p'-bromonorbelladine derivatives. A suitably selected precursor gave up to 60% yield of the coupled product.