The C18-C30 fragment of amphidinol3 has been synthesized in a convergent fashion by employing two asymmetric Sharpless dihydroxylations, a Julia-Kocienski olefination and a Wittig reaction as the key steps.
An esterification/Friedel–Crafts-cyclization approach permitted the first successful synthetic entry into the oxacyclododecindione subclass of the dihydroxyphenylacetic acid lactone-type natural products. This route allowed the preparation of two highly active anti-inflammatory fungal secondary metabolites 14-deoxyoxacyclododecindione and 14-deoxy-4-dechlorooxacyclododecindione as well as their 14-desmethyl