Microwave-mediated Nickel-catalyzed cyclotrimerization reactions: Total synthesis of illudinine

[GRAPHICS] Rapid and efficient [2 + 2 + 2] cyclotrimerization reactions were discovered through the application of microwave irradiation in conjunction with a Ni(CO)(2)(PPh3)(2) catalyst. This enables the facile construction of highly substituted indane, isoindoline, and tetraline core structures. The developed microwave-mediated Ni-catalyzed cyclotrimerization reaction was employed as the key step in a concise synthesis of the isoquinoline natural product illudinine. This represents the first example of a Ni-catalyzed cyclotrimerization reaction in total synthesis.