Efficient synthesis of the structural core of tetracyclines by a palladium-catalyzed domino Tsuji-Trost-Heck-Mizoroki reaction.

The Pd-catalyzed domino Tsuji-Trost-Heck-Mizoroki reactions of compounds 18, 27, and 34, respectively, each containing an allyl acetate and a halogen aryl moiety, lead to the formation of hexahydronaphthacenes 2 and 3 and octahydroanthracene 4 in 62-81 % yield. The octahydroanthracene and hexahydronaphthacene motifs are found in many natural products, for example, the tetracycline antibiotics.