Concise Catalytic Asymmetric Total Synthesis of Biologically Active Tropane Alkaloids

A general strategy for the total asymmetric synthesis of valuable tropane alkaloids by catalytic stereoselective transformations is disclosed. The power of this approach is exemplified by the concise catalytic enantioselective total syntheses of (+)‐methylecgonine, (−)‐cocaine and (+)‐cocaine as well as the first catalytic asymmetric total syntheses of a cocaine C‐1 derivative and (+)‐ferruginine starting from 5‐oxo‐protected‐α,β‐unsaturated enals using only two and three column chromatographic purification steps, respectively.