A synthesis of (-)-deoxypodocarpic acid methyl ester via an enzymatic enantioselective hydrolysis of the key intermidiate enol ester

(1R, 4aR, 10aS)-(-)-1-Methoxycarbonyl-1, 4a-dimethyl-1,2,3,4,4a,9,10, 10a-octahydrophenanthrene (deoxypodocarpic acid methyl ester 1), a useful intermediate for the synthesis of various diterpenes, was synthesized from (R)-(+)-6-ethoxycarbonyl-2, 6-dimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl acetate 4. The chiral starting material was prepared by the enantioselective hydrolysis of the corresponding racemate using lipase OF from Candida cylindracea.