Replacement of the butyrolactone unit of the natural products with a quinone subunit has resulted in the synthesis of natural‐product hybrids of quinone–mucocin (1). These compounds, which are combined from partial structures of annonaceous acetogenins and ubiquinone, are very potent inhibitors of complex I (an NADH ubiquinone oxidoreductase) from mitochondrial membranes.

A total synthesis of the Annonaceous acetogenin mucocin has been accomplished. The synthesis follows a convergent strategy, wherein at a very late stage the left part of the molecule is connected with the right part. The key reaction is the stereocontrolled addition of an organomagnesium compound 2 to the aldehyde 3. The THP ring of mucocin is build by a 6-endo epoxide cyclization of an epoxyacetonide precursor (16 --> 17). The new modular synthetic approach developed herein should be useful for the synthesis of other related natural products as well as pharmacologically interesting analogues.

A highly convergent, modular strategy for the total synthesis of the annonaceous acetogenin (-)-mucocin is reported. The remarkable features are the endo-selective formation of the tetrahydropyran ring from an activated epoxide and the stability of the butenolide in the coupling with an organomagnesium compound.

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A total synthesis of the Annonaceous acetogenin mucocin has been accomplished. The synthesis follows a convergent strategy, wherein at a very late stage the left part of the molecule is connected with the right part. The key reaction is the stereocontrolled addition of an organomagnesium compound 2 to the aldehyde 3. The THP ring of mucocin is build by a 6-endo epoxide cyclization of an epoxyacetonide precursor (16 3 17). The new modular synthetic approach developed herein should be useful for the synthesis of other related natural products as well as pharmacologically interesting analogues.