Palladium-Catalyzed α-Arylation of Silylenol Ethers in the Synthesis of Isoquinolines and Phenanthridines.

A diverse array of isoquinolines and phenanthridines have been accessed by developing a two-step, one-pot method constituting regioselective palladium-catalyzed Kuwajima-Urabe α-arylation of silylenol ethers and acid-mediated deprotection, annulation, and aromatization. Structural diversity in the silylenol ethers leads to three different classes of isoquinolines and phenanthridines from which related natural products can be derived. The synthetic utility of this method by the quick assembly of the natural product trispheridine is also demonstrated.