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Updated: Apr 28, 2026

Synthesis of High Purity Nonsymmetric Dialkylphosphinic Acid Extractants
Published on: October 19, 2017
Concise total synthesis of (±)-actinophyllic acid
Brett A Granger1, Ivan T Jewett1, Jeffrey D Butler1
1Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-0165, USA.
Abstract:
A concise total synthesis of the complex indole alkaloid (±)-actinophyllic acid was accomplished by a sequence of reactions requiring only 10 steps from readily-available, known starting materials. The approach featured a Lewis acid-catalyzed cascade of reactions involving stabilized carbocations that delivered the tetracyclic core of the natural product in a single chemical operation. Optimal conversion of this key intermediate into (±)-actinophyllic acid required judicious selection of a protecting group strategy.
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