Practical and efficient approach to the synthesis of guineensine

A total synthesis of guineensine, a secondary metabolite of the Piperaceae family, has been executed in 12 steps with an overall yield of 27%. Key steps in the synthesis featured novel application of a Julia–Kocienski olefination reaction which effectively constructed alkenamide skeleton. This contributes a unique approach to the synthesis of the piperamide alkaloids.