An efficient synthesis of semiplenamide C

Semiplenamides are anandamide-like fatty acid amide metabolites previously isolated from a marine cyanobacterium that display a range of biological activity. Novel syn-aldol/dehydration methodology has been developed for the stereoselective synthesis of the core (E)-α,β-unsaturated amide functionality of this class of natural product, and employed for the efficient synthesis of semiplenamide C.