Overview of the synthetic approaches to lysergic acid as a precursor to the psychedelic LSD

In this short primer we will discuss the total synthesis of lysergic acid, an important precursor to both lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and its derivatives. Lysergic acid is also noted as a precursor for many drugs targeting the serotonin receptor family of GPCRs, including multiple known hallucinogens. More recently, reinvigorated interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics from academic and commercial sectors has placed a renewed importance on practical, scalable means of accessing this complex alkaloid scaffold.