Progress Towards the Total Synthesis of Pisiferol

Abstract

Pisiferol is an abietane diterpene with antitumor, antifungal and antibiotic activities. It features a complex tricyclic core structure with a trans-ring junction and an axial methanolic group. I discuss different approaches to render the synthesis asymmetric within the context of previous work done by the Sorensen laboratory. Because the key steps in the synthesis pathway have already been validated using racemic material, if successful, these efforts would render the asymmetric total synthesis of pisiferol complete.