Meldrum's acid-derived thione dienophile in a convergent and stereoselective synthesis of a tetracyclic quassinoid intermediate.

An advanced intermediate toward anti-cancer quassinoids has been synthesized using a quadruple diene-transmissive [4+2]-cycloaddition strategy. High convergence is achieved thanks to a regio- and stereoselective hetero-Diels-Alder reaction using a thione. The relative stereochemistry of the final Diels-Alder adduct was controlled by tethered substituents introduced via a highly syn- and gamma-selective vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol.