Longifolene, synthetic routes

The first successful synthesis of longifolene was described in detail by E. J. Corey and co-workers in 1964. Scheme 13.19 presents a retrosynthetic analysis corresponding to this route. A key disconnection is made on going from I => II. This transformation simplifies the tricyclic skeleton to a bicyclic one. For this disconnection to correspond to a reasonable synthetic step, the functionality in the intermediate to be cyclized must engender mutual reactivity between C-7 and C-10. This is achieved in diketone II, because an enolate generated by deprotonation at C-10 can undergo an intramolecular Michael addition to C-... 

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