Total synthesis of (±)-dihydroactinidiolide using selenium-stabilized carbenium ion

Abstract

A new, short total synthesis of dihydroactinidiolide 1 is described using selenium carbenium ion-promoted carbon–carbon bond formation as the key step. Our synthetic strategy starts with a lactonization reaction between 1,3,3-trimethylcyclohexene 13 and α-chloro-α-phenylseleno ethyl acetate 14, affording the key intermediate, α-phenylseleno-γ-butyro lactone 15, which reacted via a selenoxide elimination to the target compound 1.