The synthesis of carbon-linked bisbenzylisoquinolines via ruthenium-mediated olefin-metathesis

Novel laudanosine dimers in which two laudanosine units are linked at C-2′ via a two and four-carbon linker have been prepared using ruthenium-mediated olefin-metathesis. In addition, a second four-carbon linker between the two isoquinoline N-atoms was also present leading to a novel macrocyclic ring system. Five of these compounds showed higher cytostatic activity on three cancer cell lines than thalicarpine.