posted on 2010-07-21, 00:00authored byYandong Zhang, Samuel J. Danishefsky
The total synthesis of the highly degraded steroidal natural product, aplykurodinone-1 (1), has been accomplished. Key features include a one-flask hydrolysis/retro-aldol/iodolactonization sequence to excise the C8 hydroxymethylene functionality with retention of stereochemistry and the stereoselective installation of the C13 methyl group through hydrogenation with homogeneous catalyst.