Abstract Studies aimed at preparing (±)-strychnofoline by total synthesis are detailed. The route described makes use of a recently developed MgI 2-mediated ring-expansion reaction of spiro [cyclopropan-1, 3′-oxindole] with a cyclic disubstituted aldimine. The ring- expansion product was formed as a single diastereoisomer in 55% yield, possessing the same stereochemical pattern found in strychnofoline. In addition, our synthetic effort has ...
