A quinone methide diterpene: abietaquinone methide, which possesses potent anti- methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and anti-vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) activities, was synthesized via efficiently ortho-oxidation of ferruginol derived from industrially available dehydroabietic acid. ortho-Oxidation of phenols was developed to give mono esters of catechols using a stable diacyl peroxide, bis (4- ...