Using ozonolysis of the acid-catalyzed cyclized products of (-)-nidorellol and air-autoxidation as the key steps, (+)-ambrox was obtained in 53% overall yield. In the course of our synthesis, we discovered that (-)-nidorellol provided (+)-ambrox instead of the expected product, (-)-ambrox. Thus the absolute configuration of (-)-nidorellol was proved to be trans-(5R*,7R*,8R*,9S*,10R*)-labda-12,14-diene-7 alpha,8 beta-diol, which is opposite to that illustrated in a previous report. Crown Copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Using ozonolysis of the acid-catalyzed cyclized products of (-)-nidorellol and air-autoxidation as the key steps, (+)-ambrox was obtained in 53% overall yield. In the course of our synthesis, we discovered that (-)-nidorellol provided (+)-ambrox instead of the expected product, (-)-ambrox. Thus the absolute configuration of (-)-nidorellol was proved to be trans-(5R*,7R*,8R*,9S*,10R*)-labda-12,14-diene-7 alpha,8 beta-diol, which is opposite to that illustrated in a previous report. Crown Copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.