Herbertanes belong to an expanding family 1 of sesquiterpenes possessing a 3-methyl-(1,2,2 -trimethylcyclopentyl) cyclohexane skeleton. Herbertene 1, herbertenol 2 and herbertene diol 3 are a few representative examples. In recent years, herbertanes have become popular synthetic targets 2 , as some members of this family exhibit a wide range of biological activities, such as antifungal, neurotrophic and anti-lipid peroxidation. The synthesis of these compounds is ...