Pheromone syntheses: a tropical approach. Enantioselective synthesis of the (2R,6S,10S) and (2S,6S,10S) isomers of methyl 2,6,10-trimethyldodecanoate.

The enantioselective syntheses of two stereoisomers, (2R,6S,10S) and (2S,6S,10S), of methyl 2,6,10-trimethyldodecanote, out of eight possible isomers, are described , employing the stereoselective hydroboration of (-)-isopulegol (2) and (+)-neo-isopulegol (2a) as the key reaction.