Highly diastereoselective formation of spirocyclic compounds via 1,5-hydrogen transfer: a total synthesis of (-)-erythrodiene

[reaction: see text] A highly stereoselective synthesis of (-)-erythrodiene starting from 4-isopropylcyclohexanone is described. The key reactions are an asymmetric methoxycarbonylation of the starting ketone and a highly diastereoselective radical cascade involving addition of a phenylthiyl radical to a terminal alkyne followed by a 1,5-hydrogen transfer and a 5-exo-cyclization.