Total Syntheses of Five Indole Alkaloids from the Marine Bryozoan Flustra foliacea

A general, efficient, and conceptually new approach to the total syntheses of marine-derived indole alkaloids, including ()-flustramines A (1) and B (2), ()-flustramides A (3) and B (4), and ()-debromoflustramine B (5), is outlined. The key step in the syntheses involves the conjugated addition of an organomagnesium species derived from prenyl bromide to 2-hydroxyindolenines. Compounds 1, 2, and 5 have been synthesized in five steps with 23%, 17%, and 16% overall yield, respectively, whereas flustramides 3 and 4 have been synthesized in only four steps with 24% and 18% overall yield, respectively, on the basis of 2-hydroxyindolenines.