Platencin is a novel antibiotic which is active against multiresistant pathogens. We describe efficient syntheses of three platencin analogues of varying activities which allow further conclusions about the pharmacophoric part of the molecule. The unnatural antibiotic iso‐platencin, which is about as active as natural platencin, but much more selective, was identified as a new lead structure.
A novel route to (±)-platencin is reported, in which the highly stereoselective alkylative quaternization of a cyclohexenone scaffold via 1,4-diastereoinduction and two radical carbon–carbon bond-forming reactions that involve titanium(III)-mediated cyclization and stannyl-radical-mediated skeletal rearrangement are utilized.