Our approach to the synthesis of lactacystin involves a new route to the advanced intermediate 3, [9] from which the natural product can be obtained in two steps by a documented procedure. [6] We first envisaged an aldol condensation of 4 to form the C-5 quaternary centre of 3; reduction of the β-keto ester 5 would provide the β-hydroxyester 4. The pyrrolidinone ring would be formed by a Dieckmann cyclization of the diester 6, which would in turn be ...
[Bulman Page, Philip C; Hamzah, A Sazali; Leach, David C; Allin, Steven M; Andrews, David M; Rassias, Gerasimos A Organic letters, 2003 , vol. 5, # 3 p. 353 - 355]
