The First Total Synthesis of Erythronolide

12 The First Total Synthesis of Erythronolide B Corey, 197S] 

Corey s erythronolide synthesis is based on the coupling of the C1-C9 (49) and C10-C13 (50) segments. 

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The first total synthesis of erythronolide A was accomplished from iodide A and lactone B, the same intermediate which had been used for the synthesis of erythronolide B. The pronounced acid sensitivity of erythronolide A necessitated a digression of the final steps of the synthesis from those used for the earlier synthesis of erythronolide B. 

The first total synthesis of erythronolide B (1) by Corey stands as an event of great historical significance in synthetic chemistry it provides a powerful illustration of the utility of Corey s methods of macrolactonization and it demonstrates, in a particularly insightful way, the value of using readily accessible six-membered ring templates for the assembly of contiguous arrays of stereo-genic centers. 

Erythromycins, the representative and medicinally important macrolide antibiotics, have been widely studied and are still undoubtedly one of the most challenging target molecules for many synthetic organic chemists (O Fig. 3). Woodward and coworkers accomplished the first total synthesis of erythromycin A (18) in 1981 [8,9,10]. Corey and coworkers synthesized erythronolides A (20) and B (21), the aglycons of erythromycins A (18) and B (19), in 1978 [11,12] and 1979 [13]. 

Chemical degradation of erythromycin A yielded its aglycone, erythronolide A (16, R = R = OH), whereas erythronolide B (16, R = H, R = OH) was obtained from fermentation (63,64). Biosynthesis of erythromycin proceeds via 6-deoxyerythronolide B (16, R = R/ = H) and then erythronolide B (64,65). The first total synthesis of erythromycin-related compounds was erythronolide B (66) syntheses of erythronolide A and 6-deoxyerythronolide B soon followed (67,68). 

R = H), the first total synthesis of the 12-hydroxy-derivative erythronolide A (14 R = OH) has now been described by the Corey group. Erythronolide A (14 R = OH) is the aglycone of the medically important antibiotic erythromycin... 

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