Total Synthesis of Resorcylic Acid Lactone (−)‐Neocosmosin A Using Palladium‐Catalyzed α‐Arylation of Enones as the Key Step

Abstract The total synthesis of the 14‐membered resorcylic acid lactone neocosmosin A is described. The key step in the synthesis is the palladium‐catalyzed α ‐arylation of TES‐enol ethers of enones. The employment of the α ‐arylation approach to this class of resorcylic acid lactones is a new approach, which has the scope of being generalized into a unified approach for the synthesis of this class of natural products.