Versatile asymmetric synthesis of the kavalactones: first synthesis of (+)-kavain.

[reaction: see text] Three asymmetric pathways to the kavalactones have been developed. The first method is chiral auxiliary-based and utilizes aldol reactions of N-acetyl thiazolidinethiones followed by a malonate displacement/decarboxylation reaction. The second approach uses the asymmetric catalytic Mukaiyama additions of dienolate nucleophile equivalents developed by Carreira and Sato. Finally, tin-substituted intermediates, prepared by either of these routes, can serve as advanced general precursors of kavalactone derivatives via Pd(0)-catalyzed Stille couplings with aryl halides.