Stereocontrolled synthesis of lepadiformine A

In this paper we present results of a study into whether the tricyclic core of the lepadiformines A-C can be accessed via intramolecular hetero-Diels-Alder cycloaddition. We are able to demonstrate that such a process is possible and that the reaction proceeds in an endo-selective fashion, providing the correct relative stereochemistry for this family of natural products. By employing this approach we have been able to develop a short (7 step) synthesis of (+/-)-lepadiformine A. starting from commercially-available trans-2-nonenal.