[chemical reaction: see text]. A derivative of pancratistatin having no oxygenation in the aromatic ring was synthesized by a new strategy based on the cobalt-catalyzed cyclotrimerization of acetylenes as a prelude to diversity-oriented synthesis of further analogues.

Solid-state silica-gel-catalyzed opening of aziridine 6 provided phenanthrene 7, whose oxidative cleavage, recyclization, and further elaboration furnished the C-1 aldehyde and carboxylic acid derivatives of 7-deoxypancratistatin for potential analogue synthesis.

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