First Asymmetric Total Synthesis of (−)-Antofine by Using an Enantioselective Catalytic Phase Transfer Alkylation

[structure: see text] The first asymmetric total synthesis of a potential antitumor phenanthroindolizidine alkaloid, (-)-antofine, is described. An important feature of this synthesis is the creation of a stereogenic center by using enantioselective catalytic phase transfer alkylation, affording an unnatural alpha-amino acid derivative, together with a ring closing metathesis for pyrrolidine ring construction.