Pigments of Fungi, Part 16. Synthesis of Methyl (R)-(+)-Tetrahydro-2-methyl-5-oxo-2-furanacetate and its (S)-(-)-Antipode, Chiroptical References for Detatrmination of the Absolute Stereochemistry of Fungal Pre-anthraquinones.

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0957-4166(00)86350-8

The (R)- and (S)-butanolides 7 and 9 are synthesised via asymmetric epoxidation from geraniol; the (R)-butanolide 7 is also obtained from (S)-citramalic acid.The butanolides 7 and 9 are valuable reference compounds for the determination of absolute stereochemistry in fungal and plant pre-anthraquinones.