A biomimetic type expedient approach to the tricyclic core of xyloketals. Application to a short, stereocontrolled synthesis of alboatrin and a remarkable epi to natural isomerisation

An expedient synthesis of the linear tetrahydrofurano benzopyran ring system of xyloketals is described involving an ortho ester Claisen rearrangement and an intramolecular cationic cyclisation. This strategy was applied for a short, stereocontrolled and high yield synthesis of the phytotoxic metabolite alboatrin.