An aldol approach to the synthesis of the EF fragment of spongistatin 1.

A synthesis of the C29-C51 fragment of spongistatin 1, containing the E and F rings, has been completed. The approach relies on four diastereoselective aldol additions and an asymmetric glycolate alkylation to establish eight of the eleven stereogenic centers. The intact chlorodiene side chain was appended by a Lewis acid catalyzed addition of an allylstannane to an epoxy enol ether.