Flow Chemistry‐Enabled Divergent and Enantioselective Total Syntheses of Massarinolin A, Purpurolides B, D, E, 2,3‐Deoxypurpurolide C, and Structural Revision of Massarinolin A

Abstract

Massarinolin A and purpurolides are bioactive bergamotane sesquiterpenes condensed with a variety of synthetically challenging ring systems: a bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane, an oxaspiro[3.4]octane, and a dioxaspiro[4.4]nonane (oxaspirolactone). Herein, we report the first enantioselective total syntheses of massarinolin A, purpurolides B, D, E, and 2,3-deoxypurpurolide C. Our synthesis and computational analysis also led to a structural revision of massarinolin A. The divergent approach features an enantioselective organocatalyzed Diels-Alder reaction to install the first stereogenic center in high ee, a scalable flow photochemical Wolff rearrangement to build the key bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane, a furan oxidative cyclization to form the oxaspirolactone, a late-stage allylic C-H oxidation, and a Myers' NBSH-promoted sigmatropic elimination to install the exo methylene group of massarinolin A.