Considerable effort has been devoted to the synthesis of biologically important linear polycyclic peri-hydroxy aromatic compounds,'which include anthracyclines, 2 nogalamycin, 3 olivomycin, 4 bostrycin: granaticin: and other polycyclic antibiotics. In an effort to develop a new, efficient synthetic method for the preparation of these compounds, we have reported the strong-base-induced cycloaddition of homophthalic anhydrides (1) and their ...
