New heterocyclic skeletons derived from the aporphine alkaloid boldine

The abundant aporphine alkaloid (S)-(+)-boldine (1) was selectively nitrosated with sodium nitrite in acetic acid affording 8-nitrosoboldine (2) which was hydrogenated catalytically to give 8-aminoboldine (3). The latter was used as the starting material for annulations with ethyl ortho-formate to afford the corresponding oxazole ("boldine-9,8-oxazole", 4), and with methyl benzoylformate giving the phenyl-oxazinone ("boldine-9,8-phenyloxazinone", 5). This later product was treated with KOH/EtOH at room temperature and converted quickly into the ring-contracted phenyloxazole ("boldine-9,8-phenyloxazole", 6) in moderate yield.