Catalytic asymmetric claisen rearrangement in natural product synthesis: synthetic studies toward (-)-xeniolide F.

[chemical reaction: see text]. The catalytic asymmetric Claisen rearrangement (CAC) of a highly substituted and functionalized alpha-alkoxycarbonyl-substituted allyl vinyl ether has been exploited to gain access to an advanced building block for the projected total synthesis of (-)-xeniolide F, the enantiomer of a xenicane diterpene isolated from a coral of the genus Xenia.