Patent ID: 6972335

Claim:
A method of preparing an epothilone precursor having the structure: wherein R 1 is hydrogen or methyl; wherein X is O, or a hydrogen and OR″, each singly bonded to carbon; and wherein R 0 , R′ and R″ are independently hydrogen, a linear or branched alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl or benzyl, trialkylsilyl, dialkylarylsilyl, alkyldiarylsilyl, a linear or branched acyl, substituted or unsubstituted aroyl or benzoyl, which comprises (a) coupling a compound having the structure: wherein R is an acetyl, with an aldehyde having the structure: wherein Y is oxygen, under suitable conditions to form an aldol intermediate and optionally protecting the aldol intermediate under suitable conditions to form an acyclic epothilone precursor having the structure: (b) subjecting the acyclic epothilone precursor to conditions leading to intramolecular olefin metathesis to form the epothilone precursor.