(+)-Zoapatanol is a bioactive natural product found during the 80’s in Montanoa tomentosa leaves, a mexican plant. Showing a synthetically challenging structure and an important biological activity, an enantioselective synthesis was outlined, based on the few papers published since the compound was discovered. The previously reported synthetic pathways are plagued by an elevated number of steps and/or poor yields, making a general rethinking towards the Total Synthesis of this natural product necessary.
Considering also previous attempts and studies towards the synthesis of (+)-Zoapatanol made by Prof. S. J. Clark’s research group, in this work a new asymmetric pathway was envisaged, trying to face and solve the main problems that were plaguing other synthetic approaches. A solid route towards one of the key intermediates was successfully achieved, opening a new pathway, hypothetically shorter and generally improved, respect the ones already present in the literature.