Bioreduction of (R)-carvone and regioselective Baeyer-Villiger oxidations: Application to the asymmetric synthesis of cryptophycin fragment A

Cryptophycin fragment A (1) was prepared in high enantiomeric purity in 10 steps from(R)-carvone. A stereoselective bioreduction of (R)-carvone to neodihydrocarveol and a regioselective Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of cyclohexanone 8 with pertrifluoroacetic acid were employed in this synthesis. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.