Divergent synthesis of (+)-tanikolide and its analogues employing stereoselective rhodium(II)-catalyzed reaction

In this study, we described the divergent synthesis of (+)-tanikolide and its analogues, such as (4S)- and (4R)-hydroxytanikolides, and nortanikolide, employing a stereoselective dirhodium(II)-catalyzed reaction to construct the quaternary chiral center of tanokolides. The key steps involve (a) a dirhodium(II)-catalyzed oxonium ylide formation–[2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement, (b) an N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed ring-expansion lactonization of tetrahydrofurfural, or (c) an oxidative cleavage of tetrahydrofuran-5-methanol to γ-lactone using a 2-iodobenzamide catalyst. This route would provide high flexibility for analogue synthesis because the long side chain can be introduced at a later stage in the synthesis.