Total synthesis of ouabagenin and ouabain.

A full account of the total synthesis of ouabagenin and ouabain is described. A highly stereocontrolled anionic cycloaddition for the rapid construction of the basic steroid skeleton is a pivotal conversion for the whole strategy. A careful study was needed to establish the order and the sequence of functional group manipulations. Specific conformational features of the ouabain skeleton allowed us to overcome a few stereochemical problems. Degradation studies on ouabain provided an ultimate proof for a key intermediate, which is used as a relay. Late stage butenolide formation and glycosidation yielded ouabain.