Synthesis of natural-product-like scaffolds in unprecedented efficiency via a 12-fold branching pathway

Tying the knot! The marriage of two-directional synthesis and tandem reactions allows access to twelve skeletally diverse scaffolds in just fifteen reactions. Two-directional synthesis yields a symmetrical linear "rope-like" keto-dienoate which is then subjected to twelve separate tandem reactions to "tie the rope in knots" thus creating twelve diverse natural product-like scaffolds containing useful functionality for further elaboration.