The Asymmetric Total Synthesis of the Female-Produced Sex Pheromone of the Tea Tussock Moth

Abstract

The tea tussock moth is a pest that damages tea leaves, affecting the quality and yield of tea and causing huge economic losses. The efficient asymmetric total synthesis of the sex pheromone of the tea tussock moth was achieved using commercially available starting materials with a 25% overall yield in 11 steps. Moreover, the chiral moiety was introduced by Evans’ template and the key C-C bond construction was accomplished through Julia–Kocienski olefination coupling. The synthetic sex pheromone of the tea tussock moth will facilitate the subsequent assessment and implementation of pheromones as environmentally friendly tools for pest management.

Keywords

• sex pheromone
• tea tussock moth
• asymmetric synthesis
• Julia–Kocienski olefination