Synthetic approaches to the alkaloids of the ancistrocladaceae: (–)-O-methylancistrocladine and (+)-O-methylhamatine

An asymmetric total synthesis of the naphthylisoquinoline alkaloid (–)-O-methylancistrocladine (2) is described; the synthetic method also provides routes to the atropisomer O-methylhamatine (4) and the enantiomers of these alkaloids.