Recent progress in carotenoid and retinoid synthesis

Abstract

Photoisomerization of peridinin and its related sulfone gave the novel 6S allenic isomers. (6S)-Peridinin was synthesized in an optically active form. The first total synthesis of optically active fucoxanthin was accomplished starting from the readily available (4R,6R)-4-hydroxy-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexanone by the application of the rearrangement of oc-acetylenic alcohols to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds by silylvanadate catalyst followed by iodine-catalyzed isomerization. Recent work on the synthesis of bicyclic retinal analogues is also described. © 1994 IUPAC