Synthesis of (+/-)-phloeodictine A1

The antitumor antibiotic phloeodictine A1 (2) has been synthesized by a convergent seven-step route in 8% overall yield. The key step was the Eguchi aza-Wittig reaction of 6 to give 13 followed by a retro Diels-Alder reaction to liberate 5. Addition of 11-dodecenylmagnesium bromide to 5 to give 4b, alkylation with 18b, and deprotection completed the first synthesis of 2.