A short biomimetic synthesis of the isoquinoline and the naphthalene moieties of ancistrocladus alkaloids from common β-polycarbonyl precursors

The diketones (8) and (11), key intermediates for an biogenetically modelled synthesis of the ancistrocladus alkaloids, were each prepared in one step only, and transforned into the isoquinoline and naphthalene moieties of (1) and (2).