Alkaloids of templetonia retusa: Chemistry, structure and absolute configuration of (-)-templetine

(-)-Cytisine, (+)-lupanine, (-)-anagyrine, (±)-piptanthine and (-)-templetine have been isolated from Templetonia retusa (Vent.) R.Br. The absolute crystal structures of the trihydrochloride dihydrate and the isomorphous trihydrobromide dihydrate of (-)- templetine have both been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction; diffractometer data at 295 K were refined by least-squares techniques to residuals of 0.045 and 0.031, respectively, for 2351 and 1948 ‘observed’ reflections. Crystals of the trihydrochloride are orthorhombic P2₁2₁2₁, a 8.830(4), b 14.201(6), c 19.122(12)Å, Z 4. Crystals of the trihydrobromide are isomorphous, a 9.081(3), b 14.578(2), c 19.197(11)Å, Z 4. The absolute structure (1) of (-)- templetine has led to the absolute structure of its dehydrogenation product (-)- dehydropiptanthine perchlorate (7) which, in turn, has allowed the absolute structures of (-)- ormosanine (6), (+)- piptanthine (4) and (-)- panamine (9) to be defined. (-)- Templetine (1) reacts with formaldehyde to form homotempletine (12) and with carbon disulfide to yield the thiourea (13). Treatment of either (12) or (13) with W-1 Raney nickel followed by perchloric acid has yielded the diperchlorate (15). The X-ray crystal structure of the diperchlorate (15) has also been determined: diffractometer data at 295 K were refined by least-squares techniques to a residual of 0.056 (1312 ‘observed’ reflections). Crystals of the diperchlorate (15) are orthorhombic, P2₁2₁2₁, a 18.636(5), b 12.569(6), c 10.403(4)Å, Z 4.