Convergent Synthesis of Anaephene B

As strains of bacteria continuously evolve and become resistant to modern antibiotics, there exists a need for the development of new treatments to combat bacterial infection. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is known to develop such resistance and remains a leading cause of invasive infections and biofilm formation on prosthetic medical devices. In 2018, Brumley and Spencer et al. isolated anaephenes A–C, natural products from a marine bacterium. Anaephene B was of particular interest as it was the only member of the series to demonstrate moderate antibacterial activity against S. aureus (MIC = 6.1 μg/mL). Because of the potential clinical utility of anaephene B, investigation into synthetic production was warranted. A convergent synthesis of anaephene B will allow for production of the natural product and facile diversification in the production of analogs containing varied substituents on the aromatic ring and alterations in length, composition, or saturation of the aliphatic side chain. All analogs will be assayed against S. aureus in an investigation into the effects of structural modifications on antibacterial activity