New Taxol route
29 July 2009 - almost a formal synthesis
A new stab at Taxol total synthesis by Goldring, Pattenden and Rimmington (DOI). Their strategy a free radical cascade reaction of intermediate 2 to ABC ring system 3 with AIBN (radical initiator) and tributyltin hydride as proton donor. Compounds 3 closely resembles one of the intermediates in the Kuwajima Taxol total synthesis (30+ more steps to go) therefore the efforts almost constitutes a formal synthesis.