Stereoselective synthesis of the C31–C39 unit of (+)-phorboxazoles from m-anisaldehyde

A stereoselective route for the synthesis of the C31–C39 fragment of (+)-phorboxazoles is described. The route features Birch reduction, ozonolysis and acid-catalysed cyclisation of enantiopure precursors as key transformations to give the tetrahydropyran ring, starting from m-anisaldehyde as a masked β-keto ester to obtain the pyran skeleton of compound 1.