Reported in 2001, lomaiviticins A (1) and B (2; Scheme 1) were isolated from Micromonospora lomaivitiensis and demonstrated striking molecular architectures and impressive antitumor and antibiotic activities against a variety of cancer cell lines and bacteria. [1] These natural products apparently exert their action through a novel mechanism involving the cleavage of DNA. [2] Their chemical synthesis presents a formidable challenge, and reports describing partial success have already appeared. [3] Herein, we describe the synthesis of the monomeric aglycon unit of the lomaiviticins (3; Scheme 1), which is reminiscent of the kinamycins (i.e. kinamycin C (4); Scheme 1).The dimeric structure of the lomaiviticins renders itself to a symmetrical retrosynthetic dissection through the center of the molecule. This dissection reveals monomeric unit 3 (Scheme 2) as a possible precursor to both 1 and 2-a scenario that might not be so dissimilar to their biosynthetic pathway. Our approach to enantiopure pre-lomaiviticin structure 3 followed our general strategy towards the kinamycins [4] (defining bromoaldehyde 5 and iodoenone 7 as the possible building blocks as shown in Scheme 2), and involved an Ullmann coupling reaction and a benzoin-type cyclization as the main processes to construct its molecular framework. However, the approach required special design features (e.g. substrate 6, see below, to achieve high regiocontrol) and the development of a novel samarium-mediated 1,3-allylic hydroxy group transposition (see below) that allowed significant shortening of the synthetic route.The required building blocks 6 and 7 were synthesized from starting materials 5 and 8, respectively, as summarized in Scheme 3. Thus, readily available bromoaldehyde 5 [4] was debenzylated (AlCl 3 , 80 % yield) [5] and selectively oxidized with PhI(CF 3 CO 2 ) 2[6] to the expected p-quinone (97 % yield), which was reduced with Na 2 S 2 O 4 to the corresponding dihydroquinone and protected with SEM groups (SEMCl, iPr 2 NEt, 92 % yield for two steps) to afford bromoaldehyde 6. Meanwhile, enantioselective asymmetric dihydroxylation of enone 8 [7] (AD-mix-b, single recrystallization, 69 % yield, > 95 % ee) [8] afforded the corresponding 1,2-diol, whose protection (2-methoxypropene, PPTS) furnished acetonide 9 in 94 % yield. Conversion of the latter into its TMS enol ether (TMSOTf, Et 3 N), and subsequent exposure to O 2 in the presence of catalytic amounts of Pd(OAc) 2 , [9] led to enone 10 (83 % yield), whose iodination (I 2 , py) afforded iodoenone 7 in 91 % yield.Scheme 1. Structures of lomaiviticins A (1) and B (2), their monomeric unit (3), and kinamycin C (4).Scheme 2. Retrosynthetic analysis of lomaiviticin aglycon monomer 3. Bn = benzyl, SEM = 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethoxymethyl.