An improved, two step synthesis of the chiral templating reagent 2,6-dihydroxy-9,10-dihydro-11,12-dicarbomethoxyethenoanthracene

An improved, two step synthesis, of the importrant chiral templating reagent 2,6-Dihydroxy-9, 10-dihydro-11,12-dicarbomethoxyethenoanthracene 3 has been developed with an overall yield of 82% (not optimized). The reaction features a simple diastereomeric separation to afford the enantiomeric products. The reaction can be scaled up to afford multigram quantities of the ethenoanthracenes. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd