The unexpected domino coupling and rearrangement of the
Cinchona
alkaloid skeleton has been found to occur in the
reaction of 9-chloro-9-deoxy-alkaloids with Grignards from
peri
-dihalogenonaphthalene. The cyclization and migration
of the central quinuclidinylmethyl group (C9) from position C-4′
to position C-3′ of quinoline formed a novel chiral ring system
of 5-aza-7
H
-benzo[
no
]tetraphene,
yielding products of
unlike
configuration. The proposed
reaction pathway involves radical intermediates.