A unified approach to the tedanolides: Total synthesis of (+)-13-deoxytedanolide

A unified approach for the construction of the potent marine antitumor agents (+)-tedanolide (1) and (+)-13-deoxytedanolide (2) is described. Highlights of the synthetic strategy include the development of a versatile bifunctional dithiane-vinyl iodide linchpin, the unorthodox use of the Evans-Tishchenko reaction, and a late-stage high-risk stereocontrolled introduction of the C(18,19) epoxide to achieve a total synthesis of (+)-13-deoxytedanolide (2).