Facile Synthesis of Naphthoquinone Spiroketals by Diastereoselective Oxidative [3 + 2] Cycloaddition

A highly selective oxidative [3 + 2] cycloaddition of chiral enol ethers and hydroxynaphthoquinone is described. This convergent strategy is amenable to an enantioselective synthesis of β-rubromycin and related naphthoquinone spiroketals. Several compounds were found to inhibit DNA-polymerase and telomerase in a manner resembling α-rubromycin and β-rubromycin.