Xanthone hypothesis

Scheme II. The xanthone hypothesis as proposed by Riscoe and coworkers 92).

The key intermediate in the total synthesis of furaquinocin was obtained in good yield by a reductive Heck reaction that proceeded with a sterically hindered base pentamethylpiperidine (PMP) <02JA11616>. A new hypothesis for the major skeletal rearrangement (anthraquinone —> xanthone —> coumarin) that occurs in the complex biosynthesis of aflatoxin Bi was proposed. To test this hypothesis, an intermediate 11-hydroxy-O-methylstergmatocystin (HOMST) was synthesized as shown below. The key transformation in this synthesis involved the treatment of an ester-aldehyde with Pr3SiOTf, which smoothly produced a mixed acetal. Direct reduction with DIBAL-H led to the aldehyde. The desired product was eventually obtained via several steps as shown <02JA5294>. 

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