Total syntheses of the proposed and correct structures of iriomoteolide-2a, a cytotoxic marine macrolide natural product with an unusual 23-membered macrolactone skeleton, have been accomplished for the first time. The synthesis of the correct structure involves an asymmetric epoxidation/diepoxide cyclization cascade for the construction of the bis(tetrahydrofuran) moiety, a Suzuki-Miyaura coupling for the fragment assembly, and a ring-closing metathesis for the closure of the macrocyclic backbone. In addition, the original stereochemical assignment of iriomoteolide-2a was revised.

The total synthesis of cytotoxic marine phosphomacrolides, (À)-enigmazole A and (À)-15-O-methylenigmazole A, is described in detail. The 2,6-cis-substituted tetrahydropyran ring was efficiently elaborated by using a tandem olefin cross-metathesis/intramolecular oxa-Michael addition reaction. The 18-membered macrolactone skeleton was forged via a Au-catalyzed propargylic benzoate rearrangement/ macrocyclic ring-closing metathesis sequence. Late-stage diversification of a common intermediate enabled unified total synthesis of (À)-enigmazole A and (À)-15-O-methylenigmazole A.

Stereoselective tandem synthesis of syn-1,3-diol motifs, abundantly present in polyketide natural products and relevant pharmaceuticals, was achieved from homoallylic alcohols, α,β-unsaturated ketones, and aldehydes. Olefin crossmetathesis of homoallylic alcohols with α,β-unsaturated ketones, hemiacetalization of the resultant alcohols with aldehydes, and subsequent intramolecular oxa-Michael addition of the derived hemiacetals furnished syn-1,3-dioxane derivatives in good to excellent yields without isolation of any intermediates. The acetal moiety of the resultant syn-1,3-dioxanes could be cleaved chemoselectively/regioselectively under mild conditions in subsequent transformations.