Highly efficient and diastereoselective synthesis of (+)-lineatin.

A linear sequence was used to synthesize (+)-lineatin in 14 steps and 14% overall yield from a homochiral 2(5H)-furanone. Key steps of this synthetic approach feature the diastereoselective construction of a cyclobutene through a photochemical [2 + 2] cycloaddition and a regiocontrolled oxymercuration reaction.