Double trouble - The art of synthesis of chiral dimeric natural products

Abstract

Double or nothing! Recently the total synthesis of secalonic acids A and D was reported. This work and other natural product syntheses with a dimerization step as a common feature are featured in this Highlight. The significant biological activity of the secalonic acids and the fact that their synthesis has fascinated synthetic chemists for the past forty years make this work a milestone in natural product synthesis. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.