Amphidinolide B: asymmetric synthesis of a C7-C20 synthon

[reaction: see text] An asymmetric synthesis of a C(7)-C(20) synthon of amphidinolide B is described. The synthesis entails the construction of C(7)-C(13) and C(14)-C(20) fragments and makes extensive use of catalytic asymmetric bond constructions to establish the requisite stereochemical relationships. Fragment coupling proceeds by Suzuki cross-coupling and installs the trisubstituted diene unit that is among amphidinolide B's defining structural features.