Synthesis of 3,4-Dibenzyltetrahydrofuran Lignans (9,9′-Epoxylignanes)

Abstract

Different strategies for the racemic or enantiospecific total syntheses of plant and mammalian 3,4-dibenzyltetrahydrofuran lignans are reviewed and compared. The multi-step approaches have various key step strategies: Diels–Alder reactions, Stobbe condensations, Michael additions, alkylations, nitrile oxide cycloadditions, radical cyclisations, dianion and oxidative couplings.

Keywords

• lignan
• trans-3,4-dibenzyltetrahydrofuran
• tetrahydrofuran
• 9,9'-epoxylignane
• synthesis