Concise Routes to Derivatives and Analogues of (–)- and (+)-Galanthamine and an Assessment of their Capacities to Inhibit Acetylcholinesterase Joshua N. Buckler, Ehab S. Taher, Nicolas J. Fraser, Anthony C. Willis, Paul D. Carr, Colin J. Jackson and Martin G. Banwell* Research School of Chemistry, Institute of Advanced Studies The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia ABSTRACT: Concise syntheses of certain di- and mono-oxygenated derivatives (e.g. 2 and 3, respectively) and analogues (e.g. 4 – a D-ring monoseco-analogue of 2) of both the (–)- and (+)-enantiomeric forms of the alkaloid galanthamine [(–)-1] are reported. All have been assessed for their capacities to inhibit acetylcholinesterase but, in contrast to the predictions from docking studies, none binds strongly to this enzyme. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––