Improved Routes to Unsaturated Ketones and Heterocycles

The work herein comprises two distinct projects: the first involves the construction of allylic ketones and enones directly from primary alcohols, using a novel one-pot procedure. Following development of this methodology, its application to the synthesis of indolizidine alkaloid elaeokanidine A was investigated.

The second research area concerns the development of a copper(II)-catalysed radical cyclisation reaction to form spirocyclic oxindoles directly from linear anilides, along with subsequent preliminary studies towards to the synthesis of spirotryprostatin A.