An efficient synthesis of the 1,6-dioxaspiro[4.4]nonan-2-one motif of the immunosuppressive triterpenoid Phainanoid F

Abstract

We describe an efficient synthesis of the 1,6-dioxaspiro[4.4]nonan-2-one motif of the immunosuppressive triterpenoid Phainanoid F and its C4 epimer. A furan oxidative spirocyclization for constructing the spiro center was used as the key step. Other important reactions involved Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, Weinreb ketone synthesis and Yamaguchi esterfication. The synthesis was achieved in 11 linear steps with 17.3% overall yield.