Highly efficient asymmetric synthesis of fluvirucinine A1 via Zr-catalyzed asymmetric carboalumination of alkenes (ZACA)-lipase-catalyzed acetylation tandem process.

ZACA-lipase-catalyzed acetylation tandem process has been shown to proceed satisfactorily with either TBS-protected 4-penten-1-ol or 3-buten-1-ol to provide the corresponding enantiomerically pure (R)-2-ethyl-1-alkanols. Either (R)-5 or (R)-6 was converted to 3 in seven steps. The other fragment 4 was synthesized in nine steps from (-)-(S)-citronellol. Conversion of 3 and 4 into 99% pure fluvirucinine A1 was achieved in four steps via amidation-ring closing metathesis, the overall yield in the longest linear sequence being 34% (13 steps).