Total synthesis of (+)- and (-)-sundiversifolide via intramolecular acylation and determination of the absolute configuration

Intramolecular acylation of an organolithium leads to an efficient stereocontrolled total synthesis of both enantiomers of sundiversifolide. The absolute configuration was determined by HPLC analysis and allelopathy assay. They-lactone moiety resulted from a butenolide was obtained by the condensation of a bicyclic alpha-hydroxyhemiacetal with Ph(3)P=CMe(CO(2)R).