Highly Enantioselective Acylation of Acyclic Meso 1,3-Diols through Synergistic Isothiourea-Catalyzed Desymmetrization/Chiroablative Kinetic Resolution

A general and highly efficient organocatalyzed desymmetrization of acyclic meso 1,3-diols through acyl transfer using chiral isothioureas is described. The introduction of π-systems in the acyclic substrates provided new opportunities in terms of reactivity, enantioselectivity and synthetic potential. To reach this high level of enantioselectivity (up to er >99:1), the reaction proceeds through a synergistic mechanism involving a desymmetrization reaction and a chiroablative kinetic resolution process. This methodology was used with success as the sole enantioselective catalytic step (developed on a gram scale) to achieve the total synthesis of the antiosteoporotic diarylheptanoid (−)-diospongin A (7 steps).