Synthesis of Paclitaxel. 1. Synthesis of the ABC Ring of Paclitaxel by SmI2-Mediated Cyclization

A convergent synthesis of the ABC ring of antitumor natural product paclitaxel (Taxol) is described. SmI2-mediated reductive cyclization of an allylic benzoate possessing an aldehyde function, synthesized from tri-O-acetyl-d-glucal and 1,3-cyclohexanedione, smoothly afforded the highly strained 6–8–6 tricarbocyclic structure in 66% yield.