LAUSR

The total synthesis of soraphen A, a myxobacterial metabolite and inhibitor of acetyl CoA carboxylase, was completed in 11 steps (longest linear sequence), less than half the steps previously required. Seven metal-catalyzed processes were deployed to unlock step-economy (comprising five asymmetric processes and four C-C bond formations). The present route does not utilize chiral auxiliaries, and four of five C-C bond formations exploit non-premetalated partners. To maximize convergency, an asymmetric Tsuji reduction was developed using a Pd-AntPhos catalyst that allows a metathesis-inactive allylic carbonate to serve as a masked terminal olefin, thereby enabling successive olefin metathesis events.