Protecting-group-free catalytic asymmetric total synthesis of (−)-rosmarinecine

The protecting-group-free asymmetric total synthesis of (−)-rosmarinecine was achieved in only four steps from the commercially available (±)-3-hydroxypyrrolidine hydrochloride (2a). The key steps include the direct oxidation of (±)-2a to (±)-3-hydroxy-1-pyrroline N-oxide (1a) using the Davis reagent and the domino reaction; viz., the lipase-catalyzed dynamic kinetic resolution of (±)-1a with 1-ethoxyvinyl ethyl maleate followed by the intramolecular [3+2] dipolar cycloaddition reaction of the generated optically active ester. Some insights into the mechanism of the racemization of the optically active 1a, observed during the enzymatic process, were also obtained.