Biomimetic tail-to-head terpene cyclizations using the resorcin[4]arene capsule catalyst.

The tail-to-head terpene (THT) cyclization is a biochemical process that gives rise to many terpene natural product skeletons encountered in nature. Historically, it has been difficult to achieve THT synthetically without using an enzyme. In this protocol, a hexameric resorcin[4]arene capsule acts as an artificial enzyme mimic to carry out biomimetic THT cyclizations and related carbocationic rearrangements. The precursor molecule bears a leaving group (usually an alcohol or acetate group) and undergoes the THT reaction in the presence of the capsule catalyst and HCl as a cocatalyst. Careful control of several parameters (including water content, amount of HCl cocatalyst, temperature and solvent) is crucial to successfully carrying out the reaction. To facilitate the application of this unique capsule-catalysis methodology, we therefore developed a very detailed procedure that includes the preparation and analysis of all reaction components. In this protocol, we describe how to prepare two different terpenes: isolongifolene and presilphiperfolan-1β-ol. The two procedures differ in the water content required for efficient product formation, and thus exemplify the two common use cases of this methodology. The influence of other crucial reaction parameters and means of precisely controlling them are described. A commercially available substrate, nerol, can be used as simple test substrate to validate the reaction setup. Each synthetic procedure requires 5-7 d, including 1-5 h of hands-on time. The protocol applies to the synthesis of many complex terpene natural products that would otherwise be difficult to access in synthetically useful yields.