Total synthesis of (-)-xyloketal A.

[reaction: see text] The first total synthesis of the C(3)-symmetric and biologically active natural product, (-)-xyloketal A, has been accomplished in one step from phloroglucinol (1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene) and (4R)-3-hydroxymethyl-2,4-dimethyl-4,5-dihydrofuran. This remarkably direct process involved an exceedingly facile and diastereoselective boron trifluoride diethyl etherate-promoted triple electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction that was coupled to three bicyclic acetal formation reactions.