Syntheses and Biological Activities of (2S,2′ S)- and (2S,2′R)-Dimethyl 3-Phenyl-2,2′-oxydipropionate,Ether Analogues of a Plant-growth Regulator Isolated from Botrytis squamosa

Ether analogues of a plant growth regulator isolated from Botrytis squamosa, (2S,2′S)- and (2S,3′S)-dimethyl 3-phenyl-2,2′-oxydipro-pionate (1), were prepared by the Williamson synthesis, and the two diastereomers were separated. The absolute configurations of both diastereomers were determined by chemical transformation. The promoting effect of both synthesize analogues on lettuce seedling growth was similar to that of the natural plant growth regulator.