SUCKLING. Can. J. Chem. 63, 3418 (1985). Total syntheses of the stemodane-type diterpenoids (+-)-stemodin (2) and (2)-maritimol(4), as well as formal total syntheses of (*)-stemodinone (3) and (?)-2-desoxystemodinone (5). are described. The known ketol 12 was converted into the tricyclic enone 7. Photoaddition of allene to 7 gave (96%) a mixture of the photoadducts 20-23 (40: 51 :6: 3, respectively). Ozonolysis of 20, followed by treatment of the resultant d~one 24 with MeONa-MeOH (room temperature, 2.5 h), provided the keto ester 26 (94%). Subjection of 21 to an identical sequence of reactions gave (86%) the same product 26. On the other hand, when the dione 25 was treated with MeONa-MeOH under much milder conditions (PC, 5 min), the Isomeric keto esters 27 (39%) and 28 (33%) were produced. Both 27 and 28, upon reaction with MeONa-MeOH at room temperature, were converted efficiently into 26. Reduction (NaBH, or Lisec-BulBH) of 26 provided separable mixtures of the ester alcohol 32 and the lactone 33, which could be transformed readily into the dimesylates 35 and 39, respectively. Reaction of 35 and 39 with NaCN in warm hexamethylphosphoramide afforded the dinitriles 37 and 40, both of which, upon treatment with t-BuOK in refluxing t-BuOH, produced the same enaminonitrile 41. Acid hydrolys~s of 41 provided the dione 42. Preparatively, compound 26 could be transformed conveniently into the dione 42 (52% overall yield) without separation of mixtures of isomeric synthetic intermediates. Treatment (CH2CI2, -95°C) of 42 with MelSil-EtlN, followed by oxidation of the resultant products 46 and 47 with Pd(OAc)> in acetonitrile, gave the bis enones 48 (67%) and 49 (19%). Compound 48 was converted into the dione 52 which, upon reaction with (i-PrO)lTiMe in ether, provided an 86: 14 mixture of the keto alcohols 53 and 54 (63% from 48). Reduction (NaBH4) of 53 afforded (*)-maritimol (4). On the other hand, conversion of the 86: 14 mixture of 53 and 54 into the p-toluenesulfonylhydrazones 55 and subsequent reaction of 55 with NaH in refluxing toluene gave the alkene alcohols 56 (58%) and 57 (12%). Hydroboration-oxidation (9-BBN, refluxing tetrahydrofuran; NaOH, Hz02) of 56 afforded (88%) (*)-stemodin (2).EDWARD PIERS, BRIAN F. ABEYSEKERA, DAVID J . HERBERT et IAN D. SUCKLING. Can. J. Chem. 63, 3418 (1985). On dCcrit des synthkses totales des diterpenoi'des, du type stCmodane, (2)-stCmodine (2) et (t)-maritimol (4) ainsi que des synthkses totales formelles de la (*)-stemodinone (3) et de la (*)-dCoxy-2 stCmodinone (5). On a transform6 le cCtol connu 12 en Cnone trieyclique 7. La photoaddition de I'allkne sur 7 conduit a un mClange (96% de rendement) des photoadduits 20-23 (prCsents respectivement dans les rapports 40:51:6:3). L'ozonolyse du composC 20, suivie par un traitement de la dione 24 qui en rCsulte par du MeONa-MeOH (tempirature ambiante, 2.5 h), conduit au cCto-ester 26 (94%). Lorsqu'on soumet le composC 21 a une sCrie identique de rkactions, il y a formation du m@me composC 26 (86%). Par ailleurs, si I'on traite la...