Complete details of an asymmetric synthesis of leucascandrolide A (
1) are described. The synthesishighlights the use of two diastereoselective [4 + 2]-annulations for the assembly of the functionalizedbispyranyl macrolide
3. An efficient assembly and union of the oxazole-containing side chain
4 withmacrolide
3 was carried out using a Mitsunobu reaction. A convergent route to the oxazole side chainwas developed using a Sonogashira cross-coupling between 2-trifloyloxazole
16 and alkyne
17, whichallowed for the installation of the C9'-C10' (
Z)-olefin.