A short synthesis of the aromatic monoterpene espintanol

A flexible and expedient synthesis of the leishmanicidal and trypanocidal monoterpene espintanol 1 , first isolated in 1991 from the spruce Oxandra espintana , was achieved in seven steps and with an overall yield of 11%. Key steps were the direct conversion of the methyl ester 6b to the methyl ketone 7 upon treatment with methyl lithium and the acid-catalyzed benzylic hydroperoxide rearrangement reaction of the secondary alcohol 11 to afford 1 .