Total synthesis of hamacanthin B class marine bisindole alkaloids

[Figure not available: see fulltext.] A method for the synthesis of 1-(1H-indol-3-yl)ethane-1,2-diamines, key synthetic precursors of a number of marine alkaloids, has been developed based on the reduction of adducts of O-benzylhydroxylamine and N-protected 3-(2-nitrovinyl)indoles. For the first time, the total synthesis of 6’,6”-didebromohamacanthin B, 6’-debromohamacanthin B, and 6”-debromohamacanthin B, the secondary metabolites of the sponges Spongosorites and Discodermia calyx, was carried out. © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.