From photochemistry to alkaloids

ORGN 643

Albert Padwa, chemap@emory.edu, Department of Chemistry, Emory University, 1515 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322
The author's transition from a “hard-core” physical-organic photochemist to a synthetic heterocyclic chemist interested in new cascade reactions for alkaloid synthesis will be discussed. Domino processes belong to a growing family of reactions which allow for the regio- and stereocontrolled formation of several carbon-carbon bonds and/or ring systems in a single operation. Application of several tandem cascade processes for the synthesis of various alkaloidal targets carried out at Emory will be discussed from a mechanistic viewpoint. Our fascination with domino cascade chemistry is based on mechanistic chemistry learned at the University of Wisconsin in the early 60's under the tutelage of HEZ.