Total Synthesis of Pulchrol and Pulchral

Abstract

The total synthesis of natural products pulchrol and pulchral with antiprotozoan activity was reported, starting from the cheap hydroquinone and 4-methylbenzoic acid and using palladium-catalyzed intramolecular decarboxylation coupling reaction of arene carboxylic acids with aryl bromides as the key reaction. This method provides an opportunity for further study of the structure-activity relationship. Keywords natural product; total synthesis; cross-coupling; pulchrol; pulchral