A ttstal synthesis of racemic cy-and p-santonin is described. The synthetic sequence invo)ves reduction-alkylation of m-toluic acid with lithium in ammonia followed by methyl iodide. Homologation of the resulting l-methyl-1,4-dihydro-m-toluic acid was effected by reduction using lithium aluminum hydride, oxidation with N-chlorosuccinimide-dimethyl sulfide reagent, and condensation of the resulting aldehyde with triethyl phosphonoacetate to give the acrylic ester derivative. Reduction with lithium in ammonia-ethanol yielded the propanol-substituted 1,4-dihydro-m-xylene, which was transformed to the bromide and alkylated with the lithium salt of the monosulfoxide of formaldehyde diethyl thioacetal. Treatment with acid effected cyclization via the butanal, affording 4a,8dimethyl-1,2,3,4,4a,8a-hexahydronaphthalen-1-01 (9). Oxidation to the ketone and alkylation using ethyl iodoacetate gave the expected keto ester 11, which was reduced to a mixture of diols. These were separated and the trans isomer was oxidized to the trans lactone 14 using silver carbonate on Celite. Alkylation with methyl iodide yielded the 6 methyl isomer 15, which could be epimerized to the more stable cy isomer 16. Photooxygenation of each of these isomers afforded a-santonin (17) and a-santonin (18), along with the corresponding endoperoxides 19 and 20.6 with lithium in ammonia-ethanol. The derived bromide 7 afforded the thioacetal monosulfoxide 8 upon treatment with the lithio derivative of ethyl thioethoxymethyl ~ulfoxide.~ Treatment of this sulfoxide derivative with perchloric acid led directly to alcohol 9, presumably via the derived butyraldehyde. The entire sequence to this point can be effected in 40% overall yield.5Oxidation of alcohol 9 using dimethyl sulfide-N-chlorosuccinimide gave ketone 10. This ketone, upon treatment with lithium diisopropylamide and ethyl iodoacetate, yielded the expected kinetic alkylation product, keto ester 11.Our expectation of this reaction outcome was based on steric and stereoelectronic considerations. Accordingly, the concave geometry of dienone 10 and any intrinsic preference for axial alkylation should favor attack on the enolate 10a from the convex (top) face as shown below.6 We were not particularly concerned about formation of the bridgehead enolate 10b and/or isomerization of ketone 10 for two reasons. In the first place, the ring fusion cu-hydrogen of dienone 10 cannot assume a favorable perpendicular orientation toJhe P,y double bond and the ketone carbonyl simultaneously (see 1Oc 5 loa).