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An asymmetric synthesis of the quinone epoxide dimer (+)-torreyanic acid (48) has been accomplished employing 4 + 2 dimerization of diastereomeric 2H-pyran monomers. Synthesis of the related monomeric natural product (+)-ambuic acid (2) has also been achieved which establishes the biosynthetic relationship between these two natural products. A tartrate-mediated nucleophilic epoxidation involving hydroxyl group direction facilitated the asymmetric synthesis of a key chiral quinone monoepoxide intermediate. Thermolysis experiments have also been conducted on a model dimer based on the torreyanic acid core structure and facile retro Diels-Alder reaction processes and equilibration of diastereomeric 2H-pyrans have been observed. Theoretical calculations of Diels-Alder transition states have been performed to evaluate alternative transition states for Diels-Alder dimerization of 2H-pyran quinone epoxide monomers and provide insight into the stereocontrol elements for these reactions.
Li et al. (Tue,) studied this question.