Total Synthesis of Crenulatan Diterpenes: Strategy and stereocontrolled construction of a bicyclic keto-lactone building block

The bicyclic keto lactone 26 was synthesized for the purpose of developing a viable route to marine diterpenes of the crenulatan type. Following the efficient conversion of (S)-citronellol ( 5 ) to the allylated alcohol 9a (Scheme 2), the αβ-unsaturated lactone 12 was efficiently accessed in preparation for stereocontrolled conjugate addition. The hydroxymethyl equivalent most suited to this task was (i-PrO)Me₂SiCH₂MgCl, which gave 13 predominantly in the presence of CuI and Me₃SiCl. Once the OH group was deprotected (→ 14 ), it proved an easy matter to implement acid-catalyzed isomerization to lactone 15 , oxidation of which gave the pivotal aldehyde 16 . Condensation of 16 with PhSeCH₂Li led via 21 to 22 (Scheme 3). Once the OH group was protected (→ 22b ), it proved possible to effect aldolization with crotonaldehyde (→ 23 ). Exposure of 23 to acid gave the sub-target compound 25 . Its subsequent oxidation and thermal activation resulted in sequential selenoxide elimination with Claisen rearrangement (→ 26 ). The structural features of 26 require that a chair-like transition state be adopted during the [3.3]sigmatropic event. With the clarification of these issues, a highly serviceable and more advanced assault on the crenulatans should prove capable of being mounted.