Enantioselective Intramolecular Aldol Addition/Dehydration Reaction of a Macrocyclic Diketone: Synthesis of the Musk Odorants (<i>R</i>)‐Muscone and (<i>R</i>,<i>Z</i>)‐5‐Muscenone

Abstract

One hundred years after the first isolation of natural (R)-muscone [(R)-1], a short and efficient access to the outstanding odorants (R)-1 and (R,Z)-5-muscenone [(R)-2] has become possible thanks to an unprecedented, reversible intramolecular aldol addition/enantioselective dehydration (up to 76 % ee; see scheme).