reported. This stereoselective synthesis was based on an anti-and enantioselective
organocatalyzed Henry reaction followed by a chemoselective SmI 2-mediated reduction
that affected only the nitro-group of the Henry product. These efforts yielded obscuraminol A
where the configuration of the all-Z skipped double bonds was conserved from the starting
material, ie. the ethyl ester of (all-Z)-eicosa-5, 8, 11, 14, 17-pentaenoic acid. Our synthesis …