A modified synthesis of (Z)-pyrethrolone

Abstract

An accessible, efficient, and reliable synthesis for the production of (Z)-pyrethrolone remains necessary as previous syntheses suffer from drawbacks including the use of toxic reagents, expensive starting materials and lack of regioselectivity in the production of key intermediates. This work attempts to alleviate the issues of prior syntheses by making use of well-known and regioselective transformations for the efficient synthesis of (Z)-pyrethrolone. Ultimately, (Z)-pyrethrolone is generated in an overall 20% yield over five steps from a cheap, easily accessible starting material using reliable, optimised transformations.