摘要:
                                Methylenomycin B has been synthesized from diethyl 2-oxobutanephosphonate (4) in three steps in 39% overall yield.  Starting from diethyl 3-oxobutanephosphonate (10) and diphenyl(3-oxobutyl)phosphine oxide (13), methylenomycin B has been obtained in 34% and 27% overall yield, respectively.  A characteristic feature of these syntheses of methylenomycin B is that the exo-methylene function is introduced via the Horner-Wittig reaction of formaldehyde (36% aqueous solution) with the corresponding alpha-phosphorylcyclopentenones 6 and 20.  The latter were obtained from phosphorylated 1,4-diketones by intramolecular base-catalyzed cyclization.  A brief discussion of some mechanistic aspects of the Conant reaction is also given.