Synthesis,Isolation, and NMR-Spectroscopic Characterization of Fourteen (Z)-Isomers of Lycopene and of Some Acetylenic Didehydro- and Tetradehydrolycopenes

Eight (Z)-isomers of lycopene were prepared by stereocontrolled syntheses and fully characterized by ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, mass, and UV/VIS spectroscopy: (5Z)-, (7Z)-, (15Z)-, (5Z,5′Z)-, (7Z,7′Z)-, (7Z,9Z)-, (9Z,9′Z)-, and (7Z,9Z,7′Z,9′Z)-lycopene. Six additional (Z)-isomers, namely (9Z)-, (13Z)-, (5Z,9′Z)-, (9Z,13′Z)-, (5Z,9Z,5′Z)-, and (5Z,13Z,5′Z)-lycopene, were isolated in small quantities from isomer mixtures by semiprep. HPLC and were identified by ¹H-NMR spectroscopy.