A convergent protecting group-free total synthesis route of camptothecin and 10-hydroxycamptothecin has been developed in this work. Cascade oxidation of 3-(hydroxymethyl)furan-2(5 H)-one and in situ intermolecular oxa Diels–Alder reaction with vinyl ether was developed and applied to construct the E-ring, and TMSCl-promoted cascade closure of the D-ring delivered the whole skeleton of the alkaloids in the total synthesis. The new short syntheses were advantageous with regard to step economy, low cost, easily available starting materials and reagents, and convenient operations.

Enantioselective total syntheses of lycopodium alkaloids lycoposerramine-V and 5-epi-lycoposerramine-V have been accomplished. Features of the newly established total synthesis include: 1) introduction of the first chiral center with a scalable desymmetrization reaction of an meso-anhydride; 2) chemoselective functionalization of a bis-Weinreb-amide with Grignard addition; and 3) construction of the multifunctionalized cyclohexanone with a stereoselective intramolecular Michael addition.

A highly efficient organocatalyzed Michael addition of 2-oxindole-3-carboxylate esters to nitroolefins using a Cinchona alkaloid-thiourea and an achiral Brønsted acid as cooperative organocatalysts is reproted that affords significantly improved enantioselectivity and diastereoselectivity. It also provides an efficient approach to the synthesis of spirooxindole derivatives with high enantioselectivity.

A new chemical synthesis of SN38, the active metabolite of the camptothecin prodrug irinotecan, has been achieved in 12 steps from simple, commercially available starting materials. A mild and efficient FeCl₃-catalyzed Friedländer condensation was successfully applied to construct the AB ring system. Functionalization of the C ring was accomplished by a vinylogous Mukaiyama reaction of an in situ generated N-acyliminium intermediate with a silyl enol ether. An intramolecular oxa Diels–Alder reaction efficiently constructed the D and E rings in one step. Successive asymmetric dihydroxylation and I₂-based hemiacetal oxidation furnished the stereochemistry of SN38 with high enantiopurity. Utilizing the ABC-ring intermediate and a functionalized silyl enol ether permitted the synthesis of a number of new C18-functionalized SN38 derivatives. Several of the novel SN38 derivatives that bore a C10 methoxy group were found to exhibit comparable or more potent inhibitory activity against the proliferation of cancer cells relative to SN38.