Cyclohexadiene-trans-diols as versatile starting material in natural product synthesis: short and efficient synthesis of iso-crotepoxide and ent-senepoxide

A new synthesis of ent-senepoxide and iso-crotepoxide starting from microbially produced (+)-trans-2,3-dihydroxy-2,3-dihydrobenzoic acid via regio- and stereoselective epoxidation is described.