Editing Cantharidin (section)

===Laboratory synthesis===
There have been multiple synthetic approaches to achieve cantharidin in the lab. A common strategy employed by different total synthesis methods is to begin with a [[Diels-Alder]] cycloaddition reaction to form the six-membered ring.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Dauben WG, Kessel CR, Takemura KH | title = Simple, efficient total synthesis of cantharidin via a high-pressure Diels-Alder reaction | journal = Journal of the American Chemical Society | volume = 102 | issue = 22 | pages = 6893–6894 | date = 15 October 1980 | doi = 10.1021/ja00542a060 | bibcode = 1980JAChS.102.6893D }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | vauthors = Davidson MG, Eklov BM, Wuts P, Loertscher BM, Schow SR | title = Synthesis of cantharidin | date = 11 April 2019 | url = https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2019070980A2/en | language = en }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Novel green environment-friendly synthesis process of cantharidin | date = 17 May 2017 | url = https://patents.google.com/patent/CN106674248A/en | language = en }}</ref> The starting material often utilizes a furan as the diene, giving the formation of a bicyclic ring. 

[[File:Synthetic Approach to Cantharidin.jpg|thumb|center|415px|Most total syntheses of cantharidin start with a Diels-Alder reaction.]]