A concise and unified strategy for synthesis of the C1-C18 macrolactone fragments of FD-891, FD-892 and their analogues: formal total synthesis of FD-891.

A concise and unified strategy for the synthesis of C1-C18 macrolactone fragments of FD-891 and FD-892 as well as their analogues is reported. The strategy includes a stereoselective vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol reaction (VMAR) using chiral silyl ketene N,O-acetal to construct C6-C7 stereocenters, an E-selective ring closing metathesis to construct a C12-C13 olefin, and stereodivergent construction of a C8-C9 epoxide.