Synthesis of Cannabigerol and Cannabigerol Derivatives

The synthesis of cannabigerol—a cannabinoid with significant pharmaceutical potential—is described. The synthesis involves four stages. In the first step, (E)-non-3-en-2-one reacts with dimethyl malonate to yield a cyclic enone, which is subsequently oxidized with bromine to produce the olivetol ester. This ester then undergoes an alumina-catalyzed coupling reaction with geraniol, followed by ester hydrolysis to obtain cannabigerol. By modifying the chain length of the enone in the initial step and employing allylic alcohols other than geraniol, a range of cannabigerol derivatives can be synthesized, including the natural product cannabigerovarin.