Synthesis of the azaphilones (+)-sclerotiorin and (+)-8-O-methylsclerotiorinamine utilizing (+)-sparteine surrogates in copper-mediated oxidative dearomatization

Enantioselective syntheses of the azaphilone natural products (+)-sclerotiorin and (+)-8-O-methylsclerotiorinamine that possess the natural R-configuration at the quaternary center are reported. The syntheses were accomplished using copper-mediated asymmetric dearomatization employing bis-μ-oxo copper complexes prepared from readily available (+)-sparteine surrogates. Of note, site-selective O-methylation of a vinylogous pyridone was used to access the isoquinolin-6(7H)-one core of (+)-8-O-methylsclerotiorinamine.