20-deoxy-20-fluorocamptothecin: Design and synthesis of camptothecin isostere

20-Deoxy-20-fluorocamptothecin (2) has been synthesized as an isosteric analogue of camptothecin (1). The use of selectfluor or N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide for the electrophilic fluorination of 20-deoxycamptothecin (3) yields the target compound. Enantioselective fluorination of 3 was also achieved using our previously described cinchona alkaloids/selectfluor combination to provide both enantiomers of 2 with 88% ee and 81% ee, respectively.