Total Synthesis of Callyspongiolide, Part 2: The Ynoate Metathesis/cis-Reduction Strategy

The macrocyclic core of the cytotoxic marine natural product callyspongiolide (1) was forged by ring-closing alkyne metathesis (RCAM) of an ynoate precursor using a molybdenum alkylidyne complex endowed with triarylsilanolate ligands as the catalyst. This result is remarkable in view of the failed attempts documented in the literature at converting electron deficient alkynes with the aid of more classical catalysts. The subsequent Z-selective semi-reduction of the resulting cycloalkyne by hydrogenation over nickel boride required careful optimization in order to minimize overreduction and competing dehalogenation of the compound's alkenyl iodide terminus as needed for final attachment of the side chain of 1 by Sonogashira coupling. The required cyclization precursor itself was prepared via Kocienski olefination.