Abstract: Daunomycinone is a known precursor of the well known antibiotic and antineoplastic, doxorubicin. Daunomycinone may be synthesized by preparing mono ketal of a 1,4-naphthoquinone as the precursor of the CD rings of daunomycinone followed by preparing a precursor for ring A with C.sub.6 and C.sub.11 attached and the stereochemistry at C.sub.7 and C.sub.9 established and coupling it to CD and then completing ring B.

Abstract: To produce doxorubicin and its analogues methyl 3alpha, 5alpha-dihydroxy-5beta-(trimethylsilylethynyl)-2alpha-nitromethylcyclohexa ne-1beta-carboxylate acetonide is condensed with 1,4-dihydro-4,4,5-trimethoxy-1-oxonaphthalene in the presence of 1,8-diazabicyclo-[5.4.0]undec-7-ene in an aprotic solvent to produce 3-[ (2beta-carbomethoxy-4beta-ethynyl-4alpha, 6alpha-(di-O-isopropylidenyl)cyclohexanyl-1-yl]-nitromethyl-4,4,5-trimetho xy-1-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene; which is cyclized to produce 9beta-ethynyl-12-hydroxy-7alpha,9alpha-(di-O-isopropylidenyl)-6-nitro-4,5, 5-trimethoxy-5,5a,6,6a,7,8,9,10,10a,11-decahydro -11-naphthacenone. The decahydro-11-naphthacenone is converted to 7alpha-9alpha,(di-O-isopropyl-idenyl)-4,5-dimethoxy-9beta-ethynyl-12-hydro xy-6-nitro-6,6a,7,8,9,10,10a,11-octahydro-11, -naphthacenone.