A concise synthesis of mupirocin H using a cross-metathesis-based strategy

A highly efficient (10.1% overall yield) and convergent (longest linear sequence of 16 steps) synthesis of mupirocin H has been achieved, starting from commercially available (+)-(R)-Roche ester. The route relies on an efficient Grubbs cross-metathesis reaction to generate a key, late-stage E-olefin intermediate, and a cobalt-catalysed diastereoselective Reformatsky reaction to produce a β-hydroxy ester that serves as a late-stage intermediate.