They Rewrote Total Synthesis: Conidiogenone B in Just 7 Steps (JACS 2026)

The 7-Step Masterpiece: Reimagining Conidiogenone B Synthesis How do you take a grueling 24-step total synthesis and collapse it down to just 7 steps? In this video, we dive deep into Mingji Dai's groundbreaking 2026 JACS paper, where his team at Emory University completely rewrote the rules for synthesizing Conidiogenone B. This molecule is an incredibly potent antibacterial and anticancer agent, but its dense, cage-like tricyclic system and four contiguous all-carbon quaternary centers made it notoriously difficult to build. We break down the exact mechanisms, step-by-step, to show you how Dai’s group used brilliant strategic disconnections to achieve a "steep, straight line" of molecular complexity. Key Reactions Covered: 06:42 - The Stork-Danheiser Transposition 08:21 - Building the D Ring 09:53 - The Johnson-Claisen Rearrangement (Setting 2 stereocenters!) 11:38 - The "Trojan Horse" Ester to Nitrile Transformation 16:58 - The Ultimate Move: The 6-exo-dig MHAT Radical Cyclization If you love elegant organic chemistry and brilliant retrosynthetic design, this synthesis is an absolute masterclass. Which specific step blew your mind the most? Let me know in the comments! 📚 Reference: J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2026, 148, 16, 17190-17196 #OrganicChemistry #TotalSynthesis #Chemistry #ConidiogenoneB #MingjiDai #JACS #RadicalChemistry