Stereoselective Total Synthesis of the Ionophore Antibiotic Zincophorin

Acyclic stereocontrol is the basis of an original strategy adopted for the first, highly stereoselective total synthesis of the free acid zincophorin (1), a unique ionophore antibiotic. The stereoselective synthesis of the trisubstituted tetrahydropyran moiety and the construction of the eight contiguous stereogenic centers were key challenges in the synthesis.