Total Synthesis and Prediction of Ulodione Natural Products Guided by DFT Calculations

A biomimetic synthetic strategy has resulted in a two-step total synthesis of (+/-)-ulodione A and the prediction of two potential natural products, (+/-)-ulodiones C and D. This work was guided by computational investigations into the selectivity of a proposed biosynthetic Diels-Alder dimerization, which was then utilized in the chemical synthesis. This work highlights how biosynthetic considerations can both guide the design of efficient synthetic strategies and lead to the anticipation of new natural products.

Automated summary

A biomimetic synthetic strategy was used to synthesize (+/-)-ulodione A and predict two potential natural products. Computational investigations into biosynthetic selectivity guided the chemical synthesis. This work demonstrates the importance of biosynthetic considerations in guiding efficient synthetic strategies and anticipating new natural products.