The structure of the strongly cytotoxic marine alkaloid halitulin (1) has been confirmed by total synthesis and its absolute configuration determined as (15S). The synthesis follows a strategy previously reported by one of us and uses an efficient preparation of the quinoline- 7, 8-diol unit by modified Baeyer–Villiger and Skraup reactions. The O-benzyl protecting groups were removed in the last step of the synthesis by transfer hydrogenolysis without ...
