Total Synthesis of (±)-Aspidophylline A

We report the total synthesis of (±)-aspidophylline A, one of many complex furoindoline-containing alkaloids that has not been synthesized previously. Our route features a number of key transformations, including a Heck cyclization to assemble the [3.3.1]-bicyclic scaffold as well as a late-stage interrupted Fischer indolization to install the furoindoline and construct the natural product's pentacyclic framework.