Convergent synthesis of the ABCDE-ring part of ciguatoxin CTX3C

Convergent synthesis of the ABCDE-ring part (2) of ciguatoxin CTX3C (1) has been achieved. A carbanion stabilized by a dimethyldithioacetal S-oxide group in the AB-ring part (4) readily reacted with an aldehyde group in the E-ring part (5). The resulting adduct was facilely converted to the corresponding β,γ-unsaturated α,ε-dihydroxy ketone (3). The subsequent reductive hydroxy-ketone-cyclization reactions constructed the CD-ring part efficiently. Thus, the ABCDE-ring part (2) was concisely synthesized in 10 steps in 11% overall yield from the AB-ring and the E-ring parts (4 and 5).