Stereocontrol with Lithium Trimethylzincate toward Gibberellin Synthesis

Substrate control in target-oriented synthesis is generally important in establishing the required stereogenic center rather than reagent control. During the course of the total synthesis toward Gibberellin A3 (1), a model compound (21) as the A-ring of 1 was accomplished in five overall steps with an overall yield of 15 %, starting from furfural through conjugate addition of lithium trimethylzincate to oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptadienedicarboxylic ester (2) as the key step. Relative to more common lithium dimethylcuprate or aluminum reagents, this zincate complex showed a complete selectivity with higher reactivity than with other simple enone compounds. The incoming methyl group was 100 % selective from the ring oxygen side of 2, and the enolate intermediate can be protonated stereoselectivly without the bridge-oxygen-ring opening.