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The first example of an enantioselective cycloaddition of an o-quinone methide (o-QM) with a chiral enol ether is described along with the total synthesis of (+)-mimosifoliol and the formal synthesis of (+)-tolterodine. Cycloadditions of various enol ethers and 0-QMs are examined, and diastereoselectiveness >95% are obtained with trans-2-phenyl-1-cyclohexanol and 2,2-diphenylcyclopentanol vinyl ethers.

Research is presented concerning the isolation of bicycloillicinone and tricycloillicinone from the wood of the toxic plant Illicium tachiroi. The possible use of the isolated compounds in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease is discussed.

Enantioselective syntheses of all of the named chiral members of the cleroindicin family (C-F) are described. The studies have shown the synthetic utility of a 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldeyde as a starting material for natural product synthesis by using sequential o-quinone methide chemistry and diastereoselective dearomatization.

Research was conducted to examine a fully synthetic route to the neurotrophic illicinones by sequential aromatic Claisen rearrangements. The cumyl hydroperoxide rearrangement reaction simplified the difficult problems related to the differentiation of multiple oxygen functions in reaching pre-Claisen precursor. The application of the Snider reaction offers a direct route to the tricycloillicinone.

Diels-Alder reaction between furan, having a nonracemic amine, and different dienophilic compounds produces oxobicyclic adducts. Natural products are obtained from this oxobicyclic adducts which are amenable for chemical conversions. These adducts have high oxygen substitution and can be converted into cyclophellitol and esperamicininone.

A study on cancer fighting agents and, in particular, several structurally related natural products called eleuthesides which share the paclitaxel mode of action was conducted to synthesize eleutherobin. This substance is derived from a rare alcynacean identified as an Eleutherobia species in marine soft corals found in western Australia. The synthesis strongly proves the relative stereochemical association of the diterpenoid and carbohydrate domains of eleutherobin. Results of the study are discussed.

Examines the behavior of the furan system in the cycloaddition reaction. Diastereoselective Diels-Alder reactions with dienophilic species; Obtaining of oxobicyclic adducts that are amenable to chemical transformations rendering them useful to natural product synthesis.