Abstract:

Illicium sesquiterpenes have garnered significant interest from synthetic chemists owing to their highly oxidized structures and potent biological activity. In this talk, I will discuss my efforts toward the total synthesis of (2R)-hydroxynorneomajucin, a neuroprotective norsesquiterpene isolated from Illicium Jiadifengpi. I will discuss challenges faced and the evolution of our synthetic strategy, which has culminated in the first total synthesis of (2R)-hydroxynorneomajucin.