Chabrolobenzoquinone H (1), a meroditerpene metabolite
with cytotoxic activity, is synthesized via a stereoselective Julia–Kocienski
olefination between a chiral pool derived aliphatic PT-sulfone and
a benzoquinone aldehyde partner. The latter was obtained via consecutive
chain extension steps involving a Stille coupling and a stereospecific
olefin cross-metathesis reaction followed by malonic ester synthesis
and a Krapcho decarboxylation. Furthermore, this total synthesis securely
determined the absolute configuration of the targeted natural product.