For the efficient approach to medicinally important α-branched 3-acyltetramic acids, the key reaction of O- to C- acyl rearrangement using α-amino-acid-derived 4-O-acyltetramic acids was extensively examined in the presence of various metal salts. Use of CaCl(2) or NaI dramatically changed the results in the reaction efficiency and rapidly brought about the desired α-branched 3-acyltetramic acids in markedly improved yields. We also discuss an epimerization at C5 stereocenter under the rearrangement conditions as well as the tolerance for structural variation at C3 and C5. In addition to the preceding success in the total synthesis of new cytotoxic tetramic acid, penicillenol A(1), this methodology could be also applied to the first total synthesis of penicillenol A(2).

The efficient route to various biologically important 3‐acyltetramic acids can be applied to prepare penicillenol A2 (XIII).