Pseudo-domino palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation/Mizoroki-Heck coupling reaction: a key sequence toward (±)-podophyllotoxin

A formal synthesis of podophyllotoxin was carried out in nine steps. The key pseudo-domino step was accomplished through the succession of an intermolecular palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation and an intramolecular Mizoroki-Heck coupling reaction.