A Concise Enantiodivergent Synthesis of Equol

Abstract

AbstractEquol, a nonsteroidal estrogen produced from the metabolism of the isoflavonoid phytoestrogen daidzein, has been synthesized as both enantioenriched forms based on MacMillan’s α-arylation of carbonyl compound mediated by amino acid derived indazolidinones and copper precatalysts. The natural form of (S)-equol and its enantiomer (R)-equol have been synthesized in 8 steps from 2,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde with good enantiomeric purity (90% ee and 90% ee, respectively).