Asymmetric Total Synthesis of PD-116740

A new approach was developed to achieve the asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-PD-116740, an angucyclinone from the actinomycete isolate (WP 4669). A sequence of asymmetric dihydroxylation followed by oxidative cyclization was applied to stereoselectively construct the core trans-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene-9,10-diol B–C–D ring. A new Cu salt Cu­(OH)­OTf·NMI2 was found to be the best oxidant to induce the oxidative coupling and phenol oxidation.