Thiopyran route to polypropionates: an efficient synthesis of serricornin

The synthesis of serricornin [(4S,6S,7S)-7-hydroxy-4,6-dimethylnonan-3-one], a sex pheromone produced by the female cigarette beetle (Lasioderma serricorne F.), in seven steps from readily available racemic 1,4-dioxa-8-thiaspiro[4.5]decane-6-carboxaldehyde (6) is described. The key steps include enantioselective aldol reaction of 6 with tetrahydrothiopyran-4-one catalyzed by 5-[(2S)-pyrrolidine-2-yl]-1H-tetrazole to fabricate the tetrapropionate skeleton, stereoselective Li(s)Bu(3)BH reduction of the resulting aldol adduct, Barton-McCombie deoxygenation, and Raney nickel desulfurization.