• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.354-362
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• 2003

A strategy for synthesis of the furan-fused tetracyclic system of xestoquinone was explored through a model study. Using 3-butyn-1-ol as a starting material, 5-iodo-1-methoxymethoxy pentyne (5) was prepared in 5 steps. Reaction of ethyl 2-phenylpropanoate with 5 gave ethyl 7-methoxymethoxy-2-methyl-2-phenyl-5-heptynoate (6) in 88% yield, and then methyl 9-oxo-4-methyl-4-phenyl-2,7-nonadiynoate (13), the key intermediate, was synthesized in 6 steps from the ester 6. Intramolecular cycloaddition reaction of 13 afforded isobenzofuran 14 in 5% yield, which was converted to the tetracyclic structure 15 in the presence of Lewis acid.