Enantioselective divergent approaches to both (-)-platensimycin and (-)-platencin

Enantioselective divergent approaches to (-)-platencin and (-)-platensimycin have been developed. A rationally designed chiral synthetic intermediate, possessing a useful alpha,beta-unsaturated sulfone functionality, which served as a masked ketone as well as a good Michael acceptor, was successfully prepared via the highly enantioselective catalytic asymmetric intramolecular cyclopropanation (CAIMCP) developed in our laboratory. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.