Selected natural products have long been considered as desirable targets for total synthesis due to their unique biological properties and their challenging structural complexity. Laboratory synthesis of natural compounds usually relies on target-oriented synthesis, involving the production, isolation and purification of successive intermediates, requiring multiple steps to arrive to the final product. A far more economical approach using common synthetic scaffolds that can be readily transformed through biomimetic-like pathways to a range of structurally diverse natural products has been evolved in the last decade, leading synthesis to new directions. This tutorial review critically presents the hallmarks in this field.

The direct arylation of N-substituted-4-hydroxy-2-pyridones with aryl boronic acids has been achieved under palladium catalysis. The mild reaction conditions applied in this method and the use of a conventional catalytic system offer an attractive protocol for the efficient synthesis of a variety of 3-arylated products.

The synthesis of hydroxyelemane 5 from (R)-carvone and its utilization as a common synthetic scaffold to produce structurally diverse germacrane and guaiane sesquiterpenes are described. A highly enantio- and stereoselective biomimetic tandem oxy-Cope/ene rearrangement was used as the key reaction to access the 10-membered macrocyclic core of germacranes and the condensed 5-7 carbocycles of guaiane sesquiterpenes. Additionally, reactions of furanoguaianes under acidic or oxidizing reagents have been investigated, and preliminary results of these conversions are presented.

The first direct 3-alkenylation of N-substituted 4-hydroxy-2-pyridones with unactivated alkenes is reported through a palladium acetate catalyzed, oxidative coupling.