A new tricyclic sesquiterpene. prelacinan-7-ol (1) was isolated from t
he roots of Rudbeckia laciniata. The structure was determined on the b
ase of the extensive 2D NMR analyses. The absolute configuration was e
stablished by derivatizing to axially chiral 2-(2'-methoxy-1'-naphthyl
)-3,5-dichlorobenzoic acid (MNCB, 3) and 2'-methoxy-1,1'-binaphthyl-2-
carboxylic acid (MBNC, 4) esters. For the same purpose, ''Modified Mos
her's method'' was inapplicable.