This review deals with the synthesis of alkaloids using radical cyclizations. Emphasis has been placed on radical cascades that provide synthesis of (-)-cephalotaxine, (±)-stemonamide, and (±)-isostemonamide.

Nitrogen-centered radical cyclizations onto silyl enol ethers were utilized for the syntheses of protected polyhydroxylated pyrrolidines 2-hydroxymethyl-3-hydroxypyrrolidine and 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-L-ribitol.

B(C(6)F(5))(3) promotes regio- and stereoselective cyclizations of unsaturated alkoxysilanes to generate oxasilinanes and oxasilepanes. The same products are available directly from alkenols via tandem silylation and hydrosilylation.

2,2-Disubstituted cyclic 1,3-diketones containing a tethered electron-deficient alkene undergo chiral phosphoric acid-catalyzed desymmetrizing Michael cyclizations to give bridged bicyclic products in high enantioselectivities. Both bicyclo[3.2.1]octanes and bicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes are accessible using this methodology.

The 1-hydroxy-1-methyl-6,6-diphenyl-5-hexenyl radical (4a) and the 1-hydroxy-1-methyl-7,7-diphenyl-6-heptenyl radical (4b) were prepared from the corresponding PTOC esters (anhydrides of a carboxylic acid and N-hydroxypyridine-2-thione). The key step in the synthetic method for the precursors was a coupling reaction of the respective carboxylic acids with the thiohydroxamic acid, which was cond...

The recently discovered novel concept of self-terminating, oxidative radical cyclizations, through which alkynes can be converted into carbonyl compounds under very mild reaction conditions using O-centered inorganic and organic radicals as oxidants, is described.