Organocatalytic Enantioselective Approach to the Synthesis of Verbalactone and (R)-Massoialactone

Abstract

The organocatalytic enantioselective synthesis of verbalactone and (R)-massoialactone is described. The requisite stereogenic centers of the target molecules were constructed using Lproline-catalyzed a-aminoxylation and Horner-WadsworthEmmons (HWE) olefination. Yamaguchi macrolactonization and ring-closing metathesis were employed as key steps in the syntheses.