Sequential transhalogenation and Heck reaction for efficient access to dioxo-tetrasubstituted 2,4 E,E-dienes: synthesis of segment C1–C6 of apoptolidin

Efficient access to dioxo-tetrasubstituted 2,4 E,E-dienes is developed in three steps from commercially available starting materials via sequential transhalogenation and Heck reaction, which provides potentially useful synthons for the synthesis of a tetrasubstituted conjugated diene structure in complex molecules. Thereby, segment C1–C6 of apoptolidin is synthesized.