Synthesis of the enantiomers of lasiol, an acyclic monoterpene alcohol in the mandibular gland secretion of the male ants, Lasius meridionalis.

(2S,3S)-(-)-Lasiol (2,3,6-trimethyl-5-hepten-1-ol, 1) and its antipode were synthesized from cis-4,5-dimethylcyclohexene oxide (3) by employing asymmetric cleavage of the epoxy ring with a chiral lithium amide derived from 4 to give optically active cis-4,5-dimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-ol (5) as the key-step.