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Studies Toward The Total Synthesis Of (±)-Α-Yohimbine By Double Annulation, Raghu Ram Chamala

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The indole alkaloids, a class of natural products, have received much synthetic attention for years due to their diverse structures and interesting biological properties. We are particularly interested in synthesizing some of the yohimbine alkaloids extracted from the bark of a tall evergreen African tree (Corynanthe yohimbe, commonly known as fringe tree). Yohimbine and its stereoisomers have been tempting targets for synthetic organic chemists for more than fifty years. These compounds feature a pentacyclic ring system with two heteroatoms and five stereogenic centers.

Broadly, the fifteen different synthetic approaches that led to the successful completion of yohimbine alkaloids …