A new strategy towards the total synthesis of phenanthridone alkaloids: synthesis of (+)-2,7-dideoxypancratistatin as a model study.

A new strategy towards the synthesis of phenanthridone alkaloids has been reported through the synthesis of (+)-2,7-dideoxypancratistatin from D-(-)-quinic acid employing PET initiated carbocyclization of an electron rich aromatics by silylenol ether as a key step.