Synthesis of New Biosynthetically Important Diarylheptanoids and Their Oxa- and Fluoro- Analogues by Three Different Strategies

Abstract

Wittig, aldol and Wittig-Horner reactions have been used to synthesize new diarylheptanoids, which are putative intermediates in phenylphenalenone biosynthesis in plants. The Wittig-Horner approach was most suitable and gave significantly higher yields in comparison with other methods.

Keywords:

• Diarylheptanoids
• Aldol reaction
• Wittig reaction
• Wittig-Horner reaction

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Neil J. Oldham and Janine Rattke, Jena, for mass spectra. This investigation was supported financially by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Bonn) and the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie (Frankfurt/Main).