Studies on the total synthesis of bisindole alkaloids within the voacamine family

Abstract

The reactions of perivinol (27) with voacangine (3), and of perivinol with catharanthine (29), yield in each case two bisindole alkaloids of the voacamine type. 1H and 13C nmr data are used to assign structures to these compounds and the general utility of these techniques for determining the position of attachment of the 2-acylindole unit to the Iboga unit in such compounds is discussed. The reaction of dregaminol (28) with catharanthine is also reported.