abstract:the first asymmetric synthesis of (s)-phaitanthrin a and its derivatives via a catalytic aldol reaction of tryptanthrin and ketones is described, in
which the cheap, easily prepared natural amino acid salts exhibited unique catalytic ability; importantly, this methodology tolerates a range of substrates with different substitution patterns. moreover, the synthetic utility of this strategy was further illustrated by a gram-scale synthesis of phaitanthrin a.
