Synthetic studies on bafilomycin A1: stereoselective synthesis of the enantiopure C1-C11 fragment

The synthesis of the enantiopure C₁-C₁₁ fragment of bafilomycin A₁ has been achieved with a 4% overall yield over 18 steps from (R)-(+)-citronellol. Key steps involve Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, Miyashita reaction of a γ,δ-epoxymethacrylate with trimethylaluminum in the presence of water, bis-OTMS selective Swern oxidations, Corey-Fuchs alkyne formation, Negishi's carbometalation, and stereoselective formation of the C₂-C₃ trisubstituted bond of the conjugated diene by a Wittig-type olefination of the α,β-unsaturated C₃-C₁₁ aldehyde with the ylide derived from the readily available phosphonium salt Cl⁻, Ph₃P⁺CH(OMe)COOMe].