Selective synthesis of epolactaene featuring efficient construction of methyl (Z)-2-iodo-2-butenoate and (2R,3S,4S)-2-trimethylsilyl-2,3-epoxy-4-methyl-γ-butyrolactone

(+)-Epolactaene was synthesized in 14 steps in the longest linear sequence. The synthesis is highlighted by a highly efficient preparation of the lactone intermediate 4, which only requires three steps from the commercially available (S)-3-butyn-2-ol. It also features a fully stereocontrolled synthesis of the intermediate 9, which was constructed through the use of Zr-catalyzed methylalumination of alkynes and a series of Pd-catalyzed organozinc cross-coupling reactions, such as homopropargylation, direct ethynylation, and alkenylation of the methyl ester of (Z)-alpha-iodocrotonic acid (3).