Concise approach to the carbocyclic core of the naturally occurring sphingomyelinase inhibitor scyphostatin.

A flexible strategy toward the carbocyclic core of the naturally occurring sphingomyelinase inhibitor scyphostatin, from the readily available Diels-Alder adducts of cyclopentadiene and 2-allyl-p-benzoquinone, has been devised. This approach leverages the stereochemical predisposition of the norbornyl-fused scaffolds to generate the desired stereochemical pattern and leads to a concise synthesis of the epoxycyclohexenoid core of scyphostatin with a manipulable allyl side arm.