A Concise and Efficient Synthesis of seco‐Duocarmycin SA

A short and efficient synthesis of seco ‐duocarmycin SA ( 3 ), a highly potent cytostatic agent and direct precursor of the natural product duocarmycin SA ( 1 ), has been achieved. Starting from commercially available 2‐methoxy‐4‐nitroaniline ( 4 ) the synthetic protocol contains a Fischer indole synthesis to introduce the heterocyclic scaffold and a radical 5‐ exo ‐ trig cyclization to furnish the (chloromethyl)indoline ring system as key reactions. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003)