High‐Pressure Entry into Platencin

Abstract

Bacteria under pressure! An efficient synthesis of the enantiopure tricyclic core of a recently discovered antibiotic, platencin, has been developed. This synthesis highlights a novel high-pressure Diels–Alder reaction of the flavoring agent (S)-(−)-perillaldehyde and an efficient SmI2-mediated pinacol cyclization for the construction of the bicyclo[2.2.2]octane framework (see scheme).