First enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-dysibetaine CPa and absolute configurations of natural product

Here we report total synthesis of enantiomerically pure dysibetaine CPa, isolated from Micronesian marine sponge and expected to serve as a neuroactive agent. Starting from meso-cyclopropane triester, the synthesis was achieved in 12.8% overall yield over 10 steps including organocatalytic enantioselective solvolysis of meso-succinic anhydride as a key step. This work established the absolute configurations of the natural product as (3R,4R). (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.