Scalable Total Synthesis of Bastimolide A Enabled by Asymmetric Allylborations Catalyzed by Chiral Brønsted Acids

The efficient and scalable synthesis of natural products, such as polyketides, has paved the way for the discovery of pharmaceuticals, saving millions of lives and improving people's health. We report the catalytic total synthesis of bastimolide A, a potent antimalarial, in 21 steps in a total yield of 15.4%, employing various catalytic reactions without using stoichiometric asymmetric reactions or excess amounts of heavy metal reagents. Our efficient and scalable synthesis can catalytically forge seven of 10 stereogenic centers in bastimolide A through chiral Brønsted acid-catalyzed enantio- and diastereoselective allylborations and Corey-Bakshi-Shibata reduction as key steps.