Chirogane, Prenopsane, and Patzcuarane Skeletons Obtained by Photochemically Induced Molecular Rearrangements of Longipinene Derivatives

Ultraviolet irradiation of (1R,3S,4S,5S,10R,11R)-1-acetyloxy-7-oxolongipin-8-ene (6), prepared from longipinene diesters isolated from Stevia salicifolia, afforded the new chirogane (7) and prenopsane (8) derivatives, as the major products, together with the minor secondary photoproduct (1R,3R,5R,8S,11S)-1-acetyloxy-7-oxopatzcuar-9-ene (9), which possesses a novel tricyclic sesquiterpene skeleton. The stereostructures of the new compounds 7-9 were mainly determined by NMR techniques including COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY in combination with molecular modeling obtained by density functional theory calculations. A reaction mechanism accounting for the observed transformations is proposed.