Synthesis and Computational Studies Demonstrate the Utility of an Intramolecular Styryl Diels–Alder Reaction and Di‑t‑butylhydroxytoluene Assisted [1,3]-Shift to Construct Anticancer dl-Deoxypodophyllotoxin

Deoxypodophyllotoxin is a secondary metabolite lignan possessing potent anticancer activity with potential as a precursor for known anticancer drugs, but its use is limited by scarcity from natural sources. We here report the total synthesis of racemic deoxypodophyllotoxin in seven steps using an intramolecular styryl Diels–Alder reaction strategy uniquely suited to assemble the deoxypodophyllotoxin core. Density functional theory was used to analyze concerted, polar, and singlet-open-shell diradical reaction pathways, which identified a low-energy concerted [4 + 2] Diels–Alder pathway followed by a faster di-t-butylhydroxytoluene assisted [1,3]-formal hydrogen shift.