A pattern recognition approach to 14-epi-hydrophenanthrene core of the morphine alkaloids based on shikimic acid

An expeditious and stereoselective construction of C-14-epimer of the tetracyclic hydrophenanthrene framework of the morphine alkaloids is described. The core structure is obtained in nine steps in 11% overall yield from shikimic acid via three key transformations: (i) coupling of shikimic acid with 2-iodoisovanillin at C-3 by double SN2 inversion to form the aryl ether 5; (ii) an intramolecular Heck reaction to construct the dihydrobenzofuran ring and (iii) a McMurry coupling to furnish the hydrophenanthrene core.