Intramolecular ortho-arylation of phenols utilized in the synthesis of the aporphine alkaloids (±)-lirinidine and (±)-nuciferine

A palladium-mediated intramolecular phenol ortho-arylation reaction applied to the construction of aporphine alkaloids is reported. Most significantly, the efficiency of this transformation was enhanced by the utilization of trialkylphosphine (i.e. tricyclohexylphosphine) or trialkylphosphonium salts (i.e. di-tert-butylmethyl-phosphonium tetrafluoroborate) as co-catalysts in the presence of cesium carbonate. This methodology was employed in the syntheses of the aporphine alkaloids (±)-lirinidine and (±)-nuciferine.