Asymmetric total synthesis of pyranicin.

The asymmetric total synthesis of pyranicin (1) is reported. The butenolide ring was constructed via an asymmetric alkylation/ring-closing metathesis strategy. The three stereocenters in the left-hand tetrahydropyran ring were installed by sequential chiral auxiliary-mediated aldol reactions. Closure of the tetrahydropyran and fusion of the alkyl backbone were affected via a sequential ring-closing metathesis-cross-metathesis strategy.