Mesityllithium (MesLi) was found to be superior to butyllithium for the formation of aryllithium intermediates by iodine–lithium exchange. Subsequent intramolecular carbolithiation of the 2-alkenyl-substituted ortho-lithiated N-benzylpyrroles proceeded efficiently when the alkene was substituted with an electron-withdrawing group. The procedure is applicable to the construction of six-, seven-, and eight-membered rings, thus, opening new routes to pyrroloisoquinolines, benzazepines, and benzazocines. Although the use of (–)-sparteine as a chiral ligand led to low levels of enantioselection, enantiomerically pure isoquinolines could be synthesized by applying this protocol to the related pyrrolidines derived from proline, as the reactions proceeded with complete diastereoselectivity.

The lithiation of N-tert-butoxycarbonyl (N-Boc)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline was optimized by in situ IR (ReactIR) spectroscopy. Optimum conditions were found by using n-butyllithium in THF at −50 °C for less than 5 min. The intermediate organolithium was quenched with electrophiles to give 1-substituted 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines. Monitoring the lithiation by IR or NMR spectroscopy showed that one rotamer reacts quickly and the barrier to rotation of the Boc group was determined by variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy and found to be about 60.8 kJ mol⁻¹, equating to a half-life for rotation of approximately 30 s at −50 °C. The use of (−)-sparteine as a ligand led to low levels of enantioselectivity after electrophilic quenching and the “poor man’s Hoffmann test” indicated that the organolithium was configurationally unstable. The chemistry was applied to N-Boc-6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline and led to the efficient synthesis of the racemic alkaloids salsolidine, carnegine, norlaudanosine and laudanosine.

Malaria is one of the world’s most devastating parasitic diseases, causing almost one million deaths each year. Growing resistance to classical antimalarial drugs, such as chloroquine, necessitates the discovery of new therapeutic agents for successful control of this global disease. Here, we report the synthesis of some 6-halo-β-carbolines as analogues of the potent antimalarial natural product, manzamine A, retaining its heteroaromatic core whilst providing compounds with much improved synthetic accessibility. Two compounds displayed superior activity to chloroquine itself against a resistant Plasmodium falciparum strain, identifying them as promising leads for future development. Furthermore, in line with previous reports of similarities in antimalarial and antiprion effects of aminoaryl-based antimalarial agents, the 1-amino-β-carboline libraries were also found to possess significant bioactivity against a prion-infected cell line.

Proton abstraction of N-tert-butoxycarbonyl-piperidine (N-Boc-piperidine) with sBuLi and TMEDA provides a racemic organolithium that can be resolved using a chiral ligand. The enantiomeric organolithiums can interconvert so that a dynamic resolution occurs. Two mechanisms for promoting enantioselectivity in the products are possible. Slow addition of an electrophile such as trimethylsilyl chloride allows dynamic resolution under kinetic control (DKR). This process occurs with high enantioselectivity and is successful by catalysis with substoichiometric chiral ligand (catalytic dynamic kinetic resolution). Alternatively, the two enantiomers of this organolithium can be resolved under thermodynamic control with good enantioselectivity (dynamic thermodynamic resolution, DTR). The best ligands found are based on chiral diamino-alkoxides. Using DTR, a variety of electrophiles can be used to provide an asymmetric synthesis of enantiomerically enriched 2-substituted piperidines, including (after Boc deprotection) the alkaloid (+)-β-conhydrine. The chemistry was extended, albeit with lower yields, to the corresponding 2-substituted seven-membered azepine ring derivatives.

Addition of allyl halides to the organolithium species derived from lithiation of N-tert-butoxycarbonylindoline with sec-butyllithium (sec-BuLi) and tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) occurs regioselectively by S_N2 allylation. In contrast, the organolithium species can be transmetalated to the mixed zinc cuprate that undergoes regioselective S_N2′ allylations. Transmetalation to the organozinc chloride allows a Negishi-type cross-coupling reaction with aryl bromides using palladium catalysis with triphenylphosphine (PPh₃) as ligand. The chemistry was applied to a very short synthesis of 7-prenylindole and of the alkaloid vasconine.