A Convenient Synthesis of Hydrophenanthrenes the Synthesis of Ferrugindl and Xanthoperol

Abstract
We wish to report an approach (equation 1) to hydrophenanthrenes which shows considerable promise of providing a general synthetic route for diterpenes, steroids, triterpenes, and tetraterpenes. Herein we illustrate the utility of this Friedel-Crafts type of procedure3,6 by describing a synthesis of ferruginol (6) 7 and xanthoperol (8).8