Stereoselective routes to aryl substituted γ-butyrolactones and their application towards the synthesis of highly oxidised furanocembranoids.

Titanium chelate addition of aryl nucleophiles to cyclopropyl aldehyde 6 followed by a tin-catalyzed one-pot retro-aldol, acetalisation and lactonisation sequence afforded cis and trans γ-aryllactone acetals. A γ-furyllactone derived by this approach was further transformed in two steps to model compounds for the oxidised northeastern sectors of selected Pseudopterogorgia diterpenoids.