Abstract
Derivatives of 3-benzyladipic acid are important starting materials for the synthesis of tetracyclines. They are used to construct the D, C, and part of the B rings in one synthetic scheme employed by the Pfizer group,1 who have developed several methods for the synthesis of 5 with
the object of permitting the introduction of a variety of substituents in the aromatic D-ring and also at C-6. Apparently only racemic 3-benzyladipic acids were prepared and used by them.