Synthesis of the Hexahydropyrrolo-[3,2-c]-quinoline Core Structure and Strategies for Further Elaboration to Martinelline, Martinellic Acid, Incargranine B, and Seneciobipyrrolidine

Natural products are rich sources of interesting scaffolds possessing a plethora of biological activity. With the isolation of the martinella alkaloids in 1995, namely martinelline and martinellic acid, the pyrrolo[3,2-c]quinoline scaffold was discovered. Since then, this scaffold has been found in two additional natural products, viz. incargranine B and seneciobipyrrolidine. These natural products have attracted attention from synthetic chemists both due to the interesting scaffold they contain, but also due to the biological activity they possess. This review highlights the synthetic efforts made for the preparation of these alkaloids and formation of analogues with interesting biological activity.

Copper(i) catalyzed C(sp2)–N bond formation: synthesis of pyrrolo[3,2-c]quinolinone derivatives

An intramolecular copper-catalyzed direct C(sp2)–H activation/C(sp2)–N bond formation reaction has been developed for the synthesis of pyrrolo[3,2-c]quinolinone derivatives under an oxygen atmosphere. This approach presents an alternative route to the tricyclic core of martinellic acid or martinelline.