The use ofsulfonamides in isoquinoline alkaloid synthesis

Abstract

The strategic advantages of the introduction of a sulfonyl moiety during the construction of the isoquinoline skeleton are discussed. The sulfonyl moiety has become an invaluable tool to improve the stability of intermediates and the selectivity of particular processes, thus enhancing the performance of multistep synthetic sequences. Based on the structure of the target isoquinoline derivatives, a number of synthetically useful approaches have been employed for their elaboration, the stage at which the sulfonamide moiety is introduced, usually constitutes a carefully chosen movement with impact on the overall synthetic scheme.