Synthesis of 3-Oxa-guaianolides from Santonin

This article reports on the transformation of santonin into two C10-epimeric 3-oxa-guaianolides which are 8-deoxyderivatives of several natural 3-oxaguaianolides isolated from Achillea species. The synthesis involved the photochemical rearrangement of the eudesmane skeleton into a guaiane skeleton and the transformation of the cyclopentane ring into a furan moiety with the concomitant loss of C3. Comparison of the NMR data of the synthetic products with those of the natural products confirms the β orientation of the hydroxyl group at C10 in the products isolated from Achillea.