Asymmetric Total Syntheses of Colchicine, beta-Lumicolchicine, and Allocolchicinoid N-Acetylcolchinol-O-methyl Ether (NCME)

A concise and highly enantioselective synthesis of colchicine (>99% ee) in eight steps and 9.3% overall yield, without the need for protecting groups, was developed. A unique Wacker oxidation was used for enabling regioselective construction of the highly oxidized and synthetic challenging tropolone C-ring. Furthermore, asymmetric syntheses of beta-lumicolchicine and N-acetylcolchinol-O-methyl ether (NCME) were achieved. Notably, NCME was synthesized from beta-lumicolchicine by an unusual decarbonylation and electrocyclic ring-opening cascade reaction.