Asymmetric Total Synthesis of (+)-Strychnine

A synthetic strategy for the catalytic asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-strychnine is disclosed. Key features of this synthesis include an organocatalytic enantioselective Michael addition to establish the chirality of the starting building block, a photoinduced radical cascade reaction to access the Corynanthe alkaloid intermediate, and a bioinspired cascade rearrangement to generate the core of the Strychnos alkaloids.