Total synthesis of (+)-spiculoic acid A

The total synthesis of natural (+)-spiculoic acid A, a new cytotoxic marine natural product of polyketide origin, has been accomplished for the first time. The key step of the total synthesis was a stereoselective and high-yielding intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of a highly functionalized (E,E,E)-2,7,9-dodecanal derivative for the construction of the core tetrahydroindan-2-one skeleton.