In part one, the total synthesis of the antibacterial metabolite renierone is described. The key reaction involving the intramolecular cyclocondensation of N-carbobenzyloxy-5-methyl-3,4,6-trimethoxy phenethylamine with glyoxalic acid hydrate serves to demonstrate the utility of the intramolecular Ben-Ishai reaction for the construction of complex tetrahydroisoquinolines.

In part two, synthetic investigations in the area of the potent antitumor antibiotics the mitomycins have borne an efficient route to d1-9a-dehydroxymitomycin B. The key reactions are: (i) the Mitsunobu coupling of 2,4-dimethoxy-3-methyl phenol with 1-benzyloxy-4-hydroxy-6-(tert-butyldimethylsiloxy)-hex-2-ene; (ii) the aminoselenenylation of 6-{1-{(benzyloxy)methyl}-5-bromo-2-pentenyl}-2,4-dimethoxy-5-amino-m-cresol benzyl ether with N-phenylselenophthalimide; and (iii) the novel oxidation of ((+OR-))-(1aR('*),8R('*),8aR('*),8bS('*))-7-hydroxy-8-hydroxymethyl-1,1a,2,8,8a,8b-hexahydro-4,6-dimethoxy-1,5-dimethylazirino{2',3':3,4}-pyrrolo{1,2-a}indole with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone in aqueous tetrahydrofuran.