A new approach to A/B ring analogue of eleutherobin and sarcodictyns through a sequence of highly diastereofaceselective Diels–Alder reaction and ring opening–ring closing metathesis (RO–RCM)

An approach to the construction of A/B ring analogue of antitumour compounds eleutherobin and sarcodictyns is described. The key steps involve a highly diastereofaceselective Diels–Alder reaction of a dienophile containing a furanosugar moiety with cyclopentadiene and ring opening–ring closing metathesis of the resulting adduct.