Unified Total Synthesis, Stereostructural Elucidation, and Biological Evaluation of Sarcophytonolides

Sarcophytonolides are cembranolide diterpenes isolated from the soft corals of genus Sarcophyton. Unified total synthesis of sarcophytonolides C, E, F, G, H, and J and isosarcophytonolide D was achieved. The synthetic routes feature NaHMDS- or SmI₂-mediated fragment coupling, alkoxycarbonylallylation, macrolactonization, and transannular ring-closing metathesis. These total syntheses led to the absolute configurational confirmation of sarcophytonolide H, elucidation of sarcophytonolides C, E, F, and G, and revision of sarcophytonolide J and isosarcophytonolide D. We also evaluated the antifouling activity and toxicity of the synthetic sarcophytonolides H and J and their analogues as well as the cytotoxicity of the synthetic sarcophytonolides and the key synthetic intermediates.