Iodocyclisation of 1,4‐Dihydropyridines; Synthesis and Reactivity of 1‐Iodoindolo[2,3‐ a ]quinolizidines

The addition of iodine (or related species) to β-acyl-N-alkyl-1,4-dihydropyridines 1, which possess an N-substituent with an appropriate nucleophile moiety, leads to the corresponding 3-iododihydropyridinium ions, which undergo an internal nucleophilic attack to give, regio- and stereoselectively, the iodobi(poly)heterocyclic ring systems 2a–f in good yields. Reactivity studies on the iodoindoloquinolizidines 2e,f lead to the pentacyclic cyclopropane systems 4a,b, azides 5 and 6, norderivative 9 and, by a base-induced elimination, dihydropyridine 10, a precursor of the zwitterionic alkaloids flavopereirine and 6,7-dihydroflavopereirine.