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Starting from readily available (S)-styrene oxide an asymmetric synthesis is described of the naturally occurring anti-HIV spirolactone (-)-hyperolactone C, which possesses adjacent fully substituted stereocenters. The key step involves a stereocontrolled Rh(II) -catalysed oxonium ylide formation-[2,3] sigmatropic rearrangement of an α-diazo-β-ketoester bearing allylic ether functionality. From the resulting furanone, an acid-catalysed lactonisation and dehydrogenation gives the natural product.

Berberine azide, berberine thiocyanate, and 8-cyano-8H-berberine were prepared from berberine chloride, a quaternary protoberberine alkaloid. The molecular and crystal structures of all compounds are reported and discussed.

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The thermally initiated intramolecular criss-cross cycloaddition of 3-substituted homoallenylaldazines 5 has been explored. Their cyclization led to interesting new fused heterocyclic systems 6 consisting of four five-membered rings with two nitrogen heteroatoms. The azines were prepared by the reaction of homoallenyl aldehydes 4 with hydrazine. The homoallenyl aldehydes 4 were synthesized by the Claisen rearrangement of new N,N-disubstituted 4-[(2-methylprop-

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A stereocontrolled synthesis of norphenyl hyperolactone C together with its utility as a direct precursor to the anti-HIV agent hyperolactone C and analogues by addition of organolithiums, are described. Preliminary studies to access this key building block in a catalytic enantioselective manner are also reported.