Studies for the Synthesis of Xenicane Diterpenes. A Stereocontrolled Total Synthesis of 4-Hydroxydictyolactone

The stereocontrolled total synthesis of 4-hydroxydictyolactone (4), a member of the xenicane diterpene family of natural products, is described. These studies feature the development of the B-alkyl Suzuki cross-coupling reaction for direct access to (E)-cyclononenes from acyclic precursors. The Ireland-Claisen rearrangement is effectively utilized to establish the backbone asymmetry of the contiguous C-2, C-3, C-10 stereotriad of 4. The synthesis strategy has devised an intramolecular Nozaki-Hiyama reductive allylation of a formate ester for the stereoselective formation of five-membered lactols 22. In addition, an internally directed S-E' propargylation using allenylmagnesium bromide is described to establish the stereochemistry of the C-4 alcohol in 27, and the terminal alkyne is subsequently functionalized via a regioselective syn-silylstannylation to yield 30. Finally, the stereocontrolled phenylselenylation of the ester enolate derived from 43 leads to the desired syn-oxidative elimination to yield the natural product 4.