Synthesis of Antimicrobial Natural Products Targeting FtsZ: (+)-Totarol and Related Totarane Diterpenes

An efficient, convergent synthesis of totarol by a diastereoselective epoxide/alkene/arene bicyclization is described. The reported synthesis enables the preparation of related diterpenes totaradiol and totarolone as well as previously unavailable derivatives that exhibit comparable Inhibition of the bacterial cell division protein FtsZ.