
%0 Journal Article
%A Elix, JA 
%A Ferguson, BA 
%A Sargent, MV 
%T The structure of alectoronic acid and related lichen metabolites
%J Australian Journal of Chemistry
%D 1974/11/01
%V 27
%N 11
%P 2403-2411
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/CH9742403
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/CH9742403 
%X Spectroscopic evidence is presented to show that the lichen depsidone alectoronic acid is a tautomeric compound which exists predominantly in a novel, six-membered, pseudo-acid (hydroxy lactone) form. The existence of this pseudo-acid tautomer was confirmed chemically by esterification with acidic methanol, whereupon the corresponding pseudo-ester was produced. P.m.r. spectroscopy indicated that the related depsidone, &#945;-collatolic acid, and the lichen depside, microphyllinic acid, exhibit analogous ring-chain tautomerism. 
