The intramolecular addition of an aryl radical to a pyridine provides a short entry to toddaquinoline

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(98)01187-3

The paper describes a synthetic approach to toddaquinoline, an unusual alkaloid from the root bark of Formosan Toddalia asiatica. Key steps are a cis-selective Wittig coupling and a trialkyltin mediated, intramolecular cyclisation of an aryl radical to C-