Formal Synthesis of (+)-Estrone

Significance

The synthesis of estrone has been a right of passage for many of the great and good in organic chemistry for more than 50 years. In this latest formal synthesis by Soorukram and Knochel, a novel copper(I)-mediated anti-S_N2′ allylic substitution reaction developed in the Knochel laboratory was used to generate the sole quaternary stereogenic center in G.