The industrial fragrance compound dehydromuscone was synthesized in five linear steps and 19% overall yield. The synthesis features a highly efficient nondiluted ring-closing metathesis macrocyclization reaction as a key step that proceeds at a 0.2 M concentration in the presence of 0.1 mol% Nitro-Grela catalyst. The synthesis employs commercially available linear starting materials and is shorter by at least two steps than the current industrial synthesis route.
Key words
macrocyclization - dehydromuscone - Grela’s catalyst - fragrances - ring-closing metathesis - macrocycles