Enantioselective synthesis of (-)-terpestacin and structural revision of siccanol using catalytic stereoselective fragment couplings and macrocyclizations.

(-)-Terpestacin (1, naturally occurring enantiomer) and (+)-11-epi-terpestacin (2) were prepared using catalyst-controlled, stereoselective, intermolecular reductive coupling reactions of alkyne 9 and aldehyde 10, affording allylic alcohols 42 or 11-epi-42 in a 3:1 ratio (or 1:3 depending on the enantiomer of ligand 41a used). These stereoselective fragment couplings were instrumental in confirming that "siccanol" is not 11-epi-terpestacin but, in fact, is (-)-terpestacin itself. Several intramolecular alkyne-aldehyde reductive coupling approaches to 1 and 2 were also investigated and are discussed herein. Copyright 2004 American Chemical Society