Abstract The main pigments of Brevibacterium linens are the aromatic carotenoids 3, 3′- dihydroxyisorenieratene (φ, φ-carotene-3, 3′-diol), the corresponding monohydroxy compound, and the hydrocarbon isorenieratene. We report herein new syntheses of isorenieratene (ϕ, ϕ-carotene) and its xanthophyll analogue, 3, 3′-dimethoxy-ϕ, ϕ- carotene, which may be considered a protected form of the natural xanthophyll, 3, 3′- ...