A New Approach to Sesquiterpene Arenes of the 9,11‐Drimenyl Type (= [(1E,2RS,4aRS,8aRS)‐Octahydro‐2,5,5,8a‐tetramethylnaphthalen‐1(2H)‐ylidene] methyl Type)

A new reaction sequence for the synthesis of the sesquiterpene arenes (±)‐wiedendiol B ((±)‐ 1 ) and the siphonodictyal B derivative (±)‐ 21 consists in the coupling of (±)‐drimanoyl chloride ((±)‐ 3 ) with lithiated and appropriately substituted aromatic synthons to furnish the ketones (±)‐ 7 and (±)‐ 17 which were reduced to the benzyl alcohols (±)‐ 8a,b and (±)‐ 18a,b , respectively (Schemes 5, 4, and 12). The 9,11‐double bond of the drimenes (±)‐ 9 and (±)‐ 19 was formed by elimination of H₂O from the benzyl alcohols (±)‐ 8a,b and (±)‐ 18a,b (Schemes 6 and 12). New alternatives were applied to this elimination reaction involving either the pyridine ? SO₃ complex or chloral as reagents.