Efforts toward rapid construction of the cortistatin A carbocyclic core via enyne-ene metathesis

Abstract

Our efforts toward the construction of the carbocylic core of cortistatin A via an enyne-ene metathesis are disclosed. Interestingly, an attempted S(N)2 inversion of a secondary mesylate in our five-membered D-ring piece gave a product with retention of stereochemistry.