Novel reactions of a deltaline analog: an unusual skeletal rearrangement of E/F ring system

Lactam 2, prepared from deltaline (1), is an analog of C19-diterpenoid alkaloid with a hydroxyl group at C-6 and a ketone carbonyl group at C-7. Treatment of this lactam with thionyl chloride or methanesulfonyl chloride, or reaction of this lactam under Chugaev condition led to an unusual rearrangement of its E/F ring system to yield a lactone 10 in a yield range of 43–74%. The structure of 10 was confirmed by its 2D NMR data and X-ray crystallographic analysis.