Enantioselective deprotonation of meso-cycloheptanone derivative: application to the synthesis of a potential intermediate for pseudomonic acid B

[reaction: see text] A novel synthetic path to a potential intermediate for the synthesis of pseudomonic acid B was established by employing enantioselective deprotonation of a meso-cycloheptanone derivative bearing hydroxy groups at the 3,4,5,6-positions with lithium (S,S')-alpha,alpha'-dimethyldibenzylamide as a key step.