A regioselective synthesis of N-carbomethoxy-2,3,5-tribromoindole (6) via a sequential one-pot bromination-aromatization-bromination of N-carbomethoxyindoline (2) is described. The process for the transformation of 2 into 6 permitted the isolation of stable reaction intermediates N-carbomethoxy-5-bromoindoline (3), N-carbomethoxy-5-bromoindole (4), and N-carbomethoxy-3,5-dibromoindole (5). Compound 6 was used to complete the total synthesis of the natural products 1b and 1c. In addition, bromination of N-carbomethoxyindole (11) afforded N-carbomethoxy-2,3,6-tribromoindole (13), from which the natural product 1a was synthesized.

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Ultraviolet irradiation of (1R,3S,4S,5S,10R,11R)-1-acetyloxy-7-oxolongipin-8-ene (6), prepared from longipinene diesters isolated from Stevia salicifolia, afforded the new quirogane (7) and prenopsane (8) derivatives, as the major products, together with the minor secondary photoproduct (1R,3R,5R,8S,11S)-1-acetyloxy-7-oxopatzcuar-9-ene (9), which possesses a novel tricyclic sesquiterpene skeleton. The stereostructures of the new compounds 7-9 were mainly determined by NMR techniques including COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY in combination with molecular modeling obtained by density functional theory calculations. A reaction mechanism accounting for the observed transformations is proposed.