Total synthesis of synechoxanthin through iterative cross-coupling

Abstract

The choice is yours: The first total synthesis of the antioxidant carotenoid synechoxanthin was achieved through a novel iterative cross-coupling approach in which the polarity of the bifunctional building blocks is reversed to match the preferred polarity for C-C bond formation (see scheme). The convergent, stereocontrolled, and flexible nature of this synthesis enables systematic studies of the biological activities of this natural product. © 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.